Survivors
by Dancing-Shadows34
Summary: Kagome and Inuyasha were your average high school graduates. They never worried about death. Never had to look out for each other. But all that changed when a mysteriouse man disired thier 'power' and he will stop at nothing to get them. Even if it ment k
1. Chapter 1 Graduating

Survivors 

By: Shannon and Mckenna

Gender: All

Disclaimer: We don't own Inuyasha, OKAY! Sheesh. So greedy.

Dancing-Shadows34; Howdy y'all! Yeah um… hm…Uhh, brain fart. Well, I HAD something important to say, but I forgot it so…OH YEAH. Read ALL of the story, K! Don't skip to a surtant chappy just because it sounds interesting, cause you'll miss a lot if you skip. SO DON'T, GOT IT? Okay, have fun reading, y'all!

Chapter 1: Graduating

"Oi, were IS he?" Kagome screeched. She passed back and forth behind a closed blue curtain, the string from her graduation hat flipping in her face. Her and Inuyasha were graduating in the 5 of their class, and soon would be off to collage…if the damn collage would send back an acceptance letter! She had sent the letter in a month before school ended, and they STILL haven't replied. She thought the whole ' graduating in the top 5 of her class' would win them over for sure! Guess not.

Anyway, Kagome was getting a little uneasy because this year, the graduates were to bring down a friend to accept their awards together, but since Inuyasha wasn't showing, she just might be the only one without a friend up there. (Yes, long sentience, I know)

"It's gonna be okay, Kagome," said a calm Rin, whom was leaning on a wooden crate beside were Kagome passed nervously. Kagome's green graduation robe brushed the floor around her as she walked, and her black hair swayed from side to side from each step she took.

"It's just my luck," said Kagome half under her breath and half out loud. "I get stuck with the one person who's on time every day EXEPT for the most important one!"

"Why didn't you just invite Sango?" Rin asked, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

Kagome pivoted on her heal and replied, " She's going with her boyfriend, Miroku, remember?"

Rin cringed and scratched her head," Oh, right."

"Hey guys! It's almost time to start!" Came a pretty little voice from behind them. It was Sango, dressed in an equally long and green graduation robe and hat. Whenever she took a step, that little ball of string hanging from her hat would bounce around her face like a fly.

She approached Kagome and stopped. "Hey, where's Inuyasha?"

"Late!" Kagome said rubbing her forehead hard.

"Oh great," Sango laughed. Kagome just rolled her eyes in agreement. Just then, they herd a masculine voice from behind and turned to see Miroku poking his head threw the curtain. He was waving Sango to come over hastily and mouthed that they needed to go.

"Okay, good luck anyway, Kagome!" Sango said, waving to her as she ran up to Miroku and disappeared behind the red curtain. Kagome just weakly waved back, than sighed heavily.

"I wish I could go up there with you but…I kind a already graduated," said Rin, a smile of sympathy on her face.

Kagome just turned to her with slumped shoulders and a pouty face. "Can Sesshoumaru do it?"

"Uhh, dude… in just a few days he'll be graduating from COLLAGE."

Kagome straitened up and scratched the back of her neck. "Oh, yeah I keep forgetting. But he looks so darn young!"

Rin just smiled dreamingly. "Yeah. One of the many great gifts of a demon." Kagome just smiled and shook her head. _Pathetic…_Suddenly, music began to play, and the lights began to dim around them. The sudden darkness and loud music took the two by surprise, and they lept into each other's arms.

"Whoa! Oh crap, it's starting! I gotta get back to my seat before Sessho gives my seat away." Rin gave Kagome a quick hug, and sprinted out of the back stage door.

"Good luck!" she cried, before the door shut behind her. Kagome just smiled, but then sighed heavily again when Rin was gone. _Great. Now I'm SURE I'm doing this alone. Oi, Inuyasha! You big late dumb ass!_

Suddenly, she heard a 'psst' from the stage door. She shot up to see Inuyasha sprinting towards her.Kagome lit up and turned Just in time for him to skid to a stop about two inches from her.

"Were the hell have you been?" Inuyasha whispered loudly.

"What do you mean 'were the hell have I been'? Were the hell have YOU been?" Kagome whispered back angrily.

"I've been in the bleachers waiting for YOU!" Inuyasha answered, pointing to the curtain, of which the bleachers were behind.

Kagome's angry face went slack. "Oh…" That's when the curtain began to open, and they both jumped as the bright spotlight hit them.

"Oh shit!" Inuyasha half whispered half yelled as he shoved Kagome behind the bleachers that were set on the stage. The gym came alive with clapping and cheering as the spotlight hit the bleachers full of graduating student. Thank God no body had noticed Inuyasha and Kagome as they stumbled behind the bleachers.

"Ow, what the—Inuyasha!" Kagome whispered loudly.

"Shush it!" Inuyasha snapped, slapping a hand over her mouth. Kagome screeched, but it was drowned out by Inuyasha's huge palm. She began to struggle when she heard footsteps walking on stage. She and Inuyasha froze and looked to their right to see their principal dressed in a black tux, walking on the skirt of the stage. He held a big proud smile, and a pair of glasses, as he approached a wooden stand right in front of the bleachers. Thank God the principal hadn't noticed them either.

The audience clapped again as the principal reached his point and smiled out over them. The bright light shined in his face, causing him to squint, but he looked happy anyways.

He waited for the cheers to die down, before he said, "Hello fellow parents and friends, and welcome to the graduating class of 2008, Shikon High!" The audience clapped again, and the gym echoed loudly.

The principal smiled and nodded proudly, than when the clapping died, he continued. "This year, we are very proud of our student's hard work and achievement threw the course of their years here at Shikon high—"

"What are we gonna do?" Kagome asked, finally jerking her mouth away from Inuyasha's hand. The principals speech mermerd in the background, as the two concentrated on other things, like getting into the stands before they get into trouble.

"I don't know," Inuyasha said, looking around for a sneaky way of getting into the stands.

"What do you MEAN you don't know?" Kagome whispered loudly, throwing her hands at her sides. "This is all because you were late! We'll be stuck back here all threw graduating because of YOU!"

Inuyasha looked down at her and cocked his head. "ME? What about YOU? **I **spent half of the speech rehearsals wondering the school looking for you! I wasn't late, I was early!"

"I was early too! AND I was worried sick that you wouldn't show up, and I'd have to graduate alone! Did it ever occur to you to look BACK STAGE?"

"I DID look back stage. How in the hell do you think I found you?"

"How come you didn't look back here first? I would have!" Kagome rasped in a whisper, leaning into Inuyasha's face.

" Maybe 'cause I'm not you!" Inuyasha rasped back, leaning forwards as well.

"Well, GRAB A BRAIN, you dough-head!" They were butting heads now, pushing against each other's foreheads each time they threw an insult.

"YOU'RE the dough-head, Dough-Head!"

"No, YOU are!"

"You are!"

"You are!"

"YOU ARE!"

"YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU---"

" Kagome and Inuyasha!" The two arguing froze, herering their names called and the gym coming alive once more with whistling and clapping.

"What's going on?" Kagome cocked her head around.

"It's our turn, go!" Inuyasha said, grabbing Kagome by the shoulders and shoving her into view of the audience. She stumbled, holding her hat before it could fall off, that saw the audience and snapped upright. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were wide. All they eyes in the room were now on her, and all she could do was wave weakly and crack an unsure smile. That's when Inuyasha appeared, and seemed to be unaffected by all the people starring at him. In fact, he encouraged the crowd to cheer louder as he waved his hand in the air and mouthed, "More! More!" The crowd whistled and clapped and stomped their feet in response, and Inuyasha's smile grew. Kagome just stood behind him with a look of ' show-off' on her face. He let his arms fall to his side, and looked out over his admiring public. He then turned to Kagome, grabbed her hand, and dragged her up to the principal with their diplomas. Inuyasha and Kagome both reached for their papers at the same time, and took them as well. The principal signaled for them to turn and face the crowd for pictures. They both turned proudly, and smiled into the crowed. Kagome made sure to look at the back wall and not the people, in attempts to keeping her from laughing. Inuyasha, however, took turning making eye contact with everyone in the crowed, including the people he knew. Kagome decided to do so also, and began scanning for Rin and Sesshoumaru. That's when her eyes fell upon the middle row, and there sat Little Rin and Sesshoumaru, clapping and whistling at them. When she found her, Rin waved happily and gave her a thumbs-up. Sesshoumaru found Inuyasha's eyes, and just gave him a wink while clapping. Inuyasha smiled back, and looked at Kagome, who at the same time looked at him.

After the graduation, The Yasha gang filed out of the High school, leaving it's dully lit entrance behind in the night. They all walked in full stride, side by side, like the old friends they were.

Kagome took her hat off and raised her hands above her head in a stretch, squeaking in the process. "Ahh. Well, THAT was an interesting way to leave school."

Inuyasha chuckled once and nodded. "You're tellin' me! I'm never looking for you again!" Kagome dropped her hands and glared at Inuyasha.

"Hey, it's not my fault you suck at finding people. What ever happened to the super sniffer of yours?"

"Out of commission," Inuyasha replied bluntly. Kagome just rolled her eyes and looked to the side.

"At least you got to graduate," Rin replied, as Sesshoumaru draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She giggled as his fingers touched her neck, and Sesshoumaru smiled.

"Yeah, and look on the bright side," Sango said as she walked hand in hand with Miroku. "You found each other and had fun."

Kagome chuckled and shook her head. 'Yeah. Maybe a little bit…TOO much fun," she cocked her head and eyes Inuyasha with an evil smirk. Inuyasha felt her stare and double-took at her.

"WHAT? Is it a bad thing, that I know how to have fun?"

"No, its just there's a time and place for silliness. You need to be more serious about things," Kagome replied.

"Why? So I can be more like YOU?" Inuyasha smirked, and he threw one arm around her neck and pulled her into a noogy. Kagome at first protested, but than began to laugh along with the rest of her friends.


	2. Chapter 2 results

Chapter 2: The party.

It had been a month now, since Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha had graduated from high school and gone into the real world. They got an apartment together (thanks to Rin and Sesshoumaru) Sango and Miroku were now next door to Inuyasha and Kagome, who are just beginning to feel the growing pains of being adults.

The alarm went off around 8:00, when Inuyasha slammed his fists onto of the poor machine, cracking the screen and silencing it. He grumbled, face down into his pillow, the blankets kicked off the bed and now sprawled out on the hardwood floors of his room. The only thing covering his boxer-wearing butt was a thin, gray sheet drawn down to his waist. He lay there for a wile longer starring into the blue fabric of his pillowcase, waiting for the sleep to consume him once more. He was just about there when Kagome burst threw the door, letting it smash into the wall behind it with a loud THWAK!

"WAKE UP, SLEEPY HEAD!" Kagome announced at the top of her lungs. Inuyasha's eyes snapped open sleepily and a glare formed on his face. He looked up from his pillow and over his shoulder at her, a death glare wrinkling his face.

"Get up, get up, get up! You need to get ready for work!" Kagome said, as she walked up to a loan window and threw open the blinds. Inuyasha was nearly blinded as the fresh sun as it hit his face. He groaned in protest, and berried his face back in his pillow. Kagome scoffed and dropped her shoulders over-dramatically, than marched over to his side of the bed.

"Come on, get up! Money ain't gonna earn it's self!" She said, as she gave his butt a few slaps. Inuyasha just groaned in response and kicked her away.

Kagome jumped back and put her hands on her hips. "Okay, seriously, Inuyasha, get up." When Inuyasha didn't reply, a cruel look played her face. "Don't make me get the ice, 'cause you know I will." An efficient method Kagome has used before to get Inuyasha's stubborn hide out of bed. Hasn't failed her yet.

"Alright, alright, I'm up," Inuyasha mumbled as he forced himself up into the sitting position.

"Works every time," Kagome snickered as she watched Inuyasha stumble out of bed and walk passed her. Kagome waited for him to pass, before she turned on her heel and headed out behind him.

"I'm takin' a shower, so don't bother me," Inuyasha grumbled as he headed passed the kitchen and into the bathroom. Kagome stopped and shook her head as he slammed the bathroom door behind him. _Safe to say he's not a morning person. _She though as she bit back a laugh. Even if he were in another room, he would still hear her burst, and that would put him in an even grumpier mood, and THAT would not be good. She shook her head one last time, before dropping her hands and heading out the door to check the mail. She grabbed a pair of keys before she shut the door behind her.

She bounced down the metal flight of stars in her form-fitting green tank and shorts, her hair bouncing behind her in a black cape of fresh smelling Shampoo. The keys in her hand jingled with each step she took, and she began to bob to the poorly played music of brass. She lept off the last three steps and headed for the mailbox shared by all the people who lived in the apartment complex. Each person had his or her own cubby that had to be opened by a special key, thus the reason why Kagome brought her car keys out with her. Kagome approached the Mailbox cubbies, whistling as she flipped threw the abundance of keys on the ring. She found the chosen key just as she reached the box, and she shoved it into the lock. She gave it a turn and pulled the cubby door open to see a stack of mail.

"Oi," she said as she blew a lock of hair from her face. She reached in and pulled out the stack of mail, and began to flip threw, saying their titles out loud. "Bill…Bill…Bill…Bill… Junk…Hm…To Miss Higurashi," She got to a surtant letter and paused to read it. The outside wasn't very specific with its porpoise, so she decided to open it right there. She unfolded the paper and began to read. That's when her eyes stopped and widened.

Inuyasha sat half way off the chair at a table, a pair of baggy pants on and a towel draped over his shoulders. He was readying the funnies and popping dry pieces of Pops Cereal, when Kagome came bursting threw the door…again.

"You know, if you keep doing that, you're gonna brake the doors," Inuyasha said once his heart stopped racing.

"I did it! I got in!" Kagome squealed, holding the open paper to her heart.

"Got into what?" Inuyasha asked, rising from the table and walking over to her. He made it about a foot away from her when she shoved the paper in his face.

Inuyasha flinched, then froze. "Uh…dude? I can't read it."

"Uh? OH sorry!" Kagome said, holding the paper away from his face. Inuyasha just raised an eyebrow at her before reading the paper. It took him a few lines before he realized what the big deal was. He smiled at the paper, than up to Kagome, who was shaking with excitement. Suddenly, Inuyasha swooped her into his arms and twirled her around. Screeched, but laughed at the same time as she spun around in the air.

"This is great, Kagome! I'm proud of you!" Inuyasha laughed, before placing an equally laughing Kagome back on the ground.

"Thank you. I never thought I get into that damn collage," Kagome said, moving a lock of hair behind her ear. "But I did it! I actually did it!"

Kagome had longed to enter into this collage, to become a professional photographer. And now, it was actually happening to her, and she felt as though her heart would leap out of her chest and start doing the Cha-cha on the table. She had worked hard to get into that collage, and there was nothing Inuyasha respected more than someone with the will and drive to get what he or she wanted. Which is why he truly was beaming at Kagome and her success.

"I need to call Sango and Rin!" Kagome suddenly broke the silence, jumping in the air than sprinting to the phone on the kitchen counter. Inuyasha just watched her speed-dial Rin's number, and began to walk in circles as the phone rang. He shook her head and retreated for his room to pull on a shirt and backpack.


	3. Chapter 3 And so it begins

Chapter 3: And it begins

"I'm so proud of you, Kagome!" Screeched Rin, as she took Kagome into a hard embrace. Kagome had called Rin that morning and told her the news, and Sesshoumaru and her insisted that they throw a party on behalf of Kagome's success. It was 7:00 p.m. when the main guessed arrived. A Rin, Sango, Miroku and Sesshoumaru greeted Inuyasha and Kagome at the door, not to mention a fist full of confetti they threw in their faces.

"Come on in! Help yourself to some food and cake and stuff!" Rin said as she steeped out of the doorway, granting Kagome and Inuyasha full access to her house.   
"Thanks," smiled Kagome, as she stepped into the well-decorated entryway. Unlike Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha and herself, Rin and Sesshoumaru had an actual house. And a rather BIG one at that. Well, to be quite frank, Rin and Sesshoumaru were engaged, and their wedding was in four months. Now, there were two reasons why they had such a huge house; one- because Sesshoumaru was a doctor now, and Rin was training to be a photographer for crime sense and hospital autopsies. And two because…well…you'll find out about that later. (Yes, I know I'm evil)

Anyway, Inuyasha was the first to make his way to the snack table complete with chips and dip, punch, candy, and a pinecone sculpture of a swan in the middle of it all. He had not eaten lunch, so it was expected that he would be hungry. Kagome, no the other hand, was busy telling the story about her 'encounter'.

"So what is it like to be accepted into your favorite collage?" Sango asked, before taking a drink of her punch.

"I don't know," Kagome began with a shrug. " It was just…you know…overwhelming joy and, screaming, and…just happy day!"

Rin and Sango stood blank faced.

"Ooooo…kay. That made no sense what so ever, but whatever." Kagome dropped her head and glared at the two girls.

"Look, I'm still getting' over the whole thing, alright!" Kagome hollered. She turned on her heel and put her back to them, than folded her arms with a huff. "Besides. I don't see YOU two with any over-exciting news to share." That's when Rin got a sneaky little grin.

"Speakin' of 'over-exciting news,' she began to walk over to Sesshoumaru, who sat in a chair in the living room, chatting with Miroku and Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru had been agreeing to something Miroku had said, when he saw Rin approach him. He smiled at her and held his arms out so she could sit on her lap. She took the invitation and wrapped one arm around Sesshoumaru's neck. "We have good news."

Sango and Kagome had fallowed her to the rich-looking living room and stood in the wide entryway. "What? What is it?"

Rin looked at Sesshoumaru, who shrugged with a smile.

"Go ahead," he whispered to her. Rin's cheeks turned red when she stood up with Sesshoumaru's hand in hers.

"I'm pregnant."

Kagome and Sango's curious faces shifted into a gasp.

"Oh my God, RIN!" They both cried and threw themselves on her, taking her into a big hug. Rin laughed, hugging both of them. Inuyasha and Miroku had stood up with Sesshoumaru to congratulate him.

"Way to go. Knew you could do it, buddy," Miroku said, after shaking Sesshoumaru's hand.

"Shut up," Sesshoumaru gave him a fake death-glare.

Inuyasha laughed and hugged his half-brother, giving his back a thump with his fist.

"Congratulations, Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha said as they hugged.

"Thanks, man," Sesshoumaru replied proudly. _At least my brother shows me respect._

"And who'd a thought Rin would be the first," Inuyasha said, than cocked a glance in Miroku's direction. _Maybe not…_

Miroku caught his glance and put his hands up in the air. "Hey, hey, don't look at me!" Inuyasha than cocked his head at Sango.

"OR me," Sango replied angrily. Inuyasha looked away, shaking his head at both of them. That's when Kagome spoke up, after recovering from her laughter.

"Hey, Inuyasha? You know what this means?"

"What?" Inuyasha asked, turning to her.

"You're an uncle now." That news took a while to hit home.

"I'm an uncle…. Aww shit, I'm an uncle." Inuyasha dropped his shoulders but everyone could hear a tint of happiness in his voice. Suddenly, HE was the one getting the congratulating hugs…. More like group hug. They enveloped him with arms and bodies and at the same time, squeezed and picked him up off the floor. Inuyasha let out a pathetic squeak for air as the air was forced from his body.

"C-ha, C-ha, C-han't b-breath." He managed to get out. Everyone froze and looked up at Inuyasha' who was turning the deepest shade or blue.

"Ooopse! Sorry!" They all said in unison, and equally dropped him on the floor…on his rear.

Inuyasha hit the floor hard and cringed. "Ow-weee!" He began to rub his butt as the group took a step back, pointed at him…and laughed.

The group stayed up late that night, catching up on their lives and exchanging funny childhood stories and taking turns embarrassing each other. Poor Inuyasha was the butt of pretty much every joke and story. Buy the time mid-night rolled around, Kagome decided it was time to turn in. Rin stood at the door, bidding Kagome a final farewell, before kagome turned and walked down the steps to the sidewalk. She had walked to Rin's house earlier, and, even though Sesshoumaru offered to give her a ride, she refused.

You see, Kagome's father was killed in a car wreck, and HER life was nearly taken along with him. Her mother's life as well was threatened by that accident. Ever since that day, she never trusted cars. MOTOR CYCLES, Yes. Cars, no. Hell, she OWNED her own motorcycle and loved it like it was her child. Why she didn't ride it over to Rin's house that day, even she didn't know, but she was paying for it now. It was good 30-minuet walk just to get to her apartment's block! And then she has to go threw the maze of cars to get to her wing of the building, climb 3 flights of stairs, and go down a mile long hallway to get to her and Inuyasha's room.

Kagome stuck her hands in the pockets of her jean jacket, and starred down at the sidewalk, watching it pass by under her feet. _Father…_She thought, as her mind played re-runs of the very few memories she had of her dad. _I can't help but wonder…_She passed a street lamp, casting her shadow for a brief moment on a window to a store. She looked up into the clear night sky, to watch the stars wink down at her. _What you're doing right now. _She sighed and looked back down to earth, a sad frown playing her face.

"Kagome!" came a voice from behind her. She stopped sharp and looked over her shoulder. A black car approached her, slowing to a stop at her side. She looked into the rolled up window to make out a figure threw the dark glass. She jumped when the window began to roll down. Kagome ducked and peered inside.

"Oh. Hi Inuyasha,' Kagome said, letting a breath out. Inuyasha smiled at her, one arm draped around the back of the passenger seat.

"Howdy, stranger. Wanna ride?"

"Not if it's with you." Kagome replied, even though she opened the door to the car and slid in.

"Oh, you hurt me!" Inuyasha whined, putting a hand on his heart and made puppy-eyes. "So how come you're walkin' all alone at Mid-night 30?" Inuyasha asked.

"Don't know. Was an idiot and forgot my motorcycle." Kagome replied.

"YOU forgot BABY?' Inuyasha gapped. (By the way, Baby is what Kagome named her bike.)

Kagome stuck her tong out at him and said, "Shut up. I'm human."

Inuyasha just chuckled, than put his car into gear, but before he moved, he froze.

"Wait," he turned from the wheel and eyes Kagome. "I thought you said you didn't trust cars."

"I don't," Kagome replied as she began to buckle herself in. "But I trust **_you_**." Inuyasha looked at her, a blush of red painting his cheeks. _She... trust me? But…it's a car! Hell, she didn't trust SESSHOUMARU; and he was a Driver's Ed teacher the year after he graduated High school! _

Kagome cocked her head and waved a hand in Inuyasha's face. "He-llo? Any one home? STOP STARRING AT ME LIKE THAT!"

Inuyasha jumped, and looked ahead once more. "S-sorry 'bout that. I just…"

"Just what?"

Inuyasha paused and looked at the steering wheel. _Do I dare? If I go, that I'm outing her life at risk. _ "Nothing." With that, he lifted his foot off the brake, and pulled out onto the road.

After a few minuets, they pulled to a stop at an intersection, on a red light. Inuyasha scoffed and leaned back in his seat.

"Oi. How is it, whenever I'm in a hurry, every single light we come across has to turn RED?"

Kagome looked at him and frowned. "You're in a hurry?"

Inuyasha let his head flop on his shoulder and he looked at Kagome with an extremely tired look in his eyes. "It's nearly 1 o'clock, and I have to get up at four to go to work. I'll be luck enough to get 2 hour's of sleep tonight."

Kagome cringed. "Oh… sorry."

Inuyasha shrugged and curled his nose. "Forget it." They sat there for a while, Kagome starring out the window, and Inuyasha giving death glares at the light.

"I should just run it," Inuyasha mumbled, but Kagome heard it.

"No way!"

"No one's even here! It's 1 freakin o'clock in the morning! No one in their right mind would be out driving right now…accept for us."

Kagome got up in his face and pointed at him. "Still. The answer is no."

Inuyasha was pressed up against his window as Kagome leaned into him. "Okay, okay, I won't run it!" Kagome smiled and sat back in her seat. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose again and glared at her. "Sheesh." Kagome just smiled innocently at him.

"I shall fart in your general direction," Inuyasha joked.

"Oh har, har," Kagome mocked with a smile. Inuyasha chuckled back at her than faced the light again. The light blinked green and Inuyasha let out a loud praise.

"FINALLY!" He pressed on the gas and pulled out into the four-way intersection. Kagome chuckled at him, than looked out her window. Suddenly, Inuyasha felt Kagome's hand grasp his arm sharply, and heard a gasp escape her lips.

"Inuyasha, look ou—" She never got to finish. For just as Inuyasha's car was picking up speed, another car, driving at jaw-breaking speed, slammed nose first into the passenger's side. The impact sent Kagome flying to the right, knocking Inuyasha so hard that his seatbelt broke and he was thrown from the door.

He landed on the road, face and shoulder first, and rolled about three yards into the middle of the street. He came to an abrupt stop and instantly felt the pain in his face and shoulder. He lifted himself to his knees and traced his face with his fingertips. He pulled his hand away and looked at his shaking hands; blood coated his palm and fingers, and dripped on the pavement below him. His breathing quickened, just as his ears twitched to the sound of crunching metal and glass. He turned just in time to see his car rolling right up to him. It was too close for him to move out of the way safely. Heck, he only had time to gasp before he felt the car's metal body roll over him and plant him back on the floor. He could hear it. Her screaming as the car tumbled over him so quickly, it was almost as if the wind was pushing it. The wind was squeezed from his lungs, and he could feel the pop of each rib on his left side. He felt like was going to be squashed to death, when he felt the huge hunk of machine roll over him completely, and the fresh air hit his body.

The car rolled on, until it found a sidewalk and a street lamp. The car connected with the lamp and sandwiched the thick poll like taffy. Kagome felt her body going numb and her leg being pulled in a direction it was never meant to go. She could hear the metal creaking and smashing and crunching in her ear and felt of the poll sandwich her as well…before all went black.

**Author's note: Howdy y'all! I'm really sorry for the short 2nd chappy. I was an idiot and posted the chapter before I was finished with it. Yeah, absent-minded much. Anyway. Thanks you guys for the reviews: Kagome M.K and Bleeding-roses-16! Thanks for being my very first story reviewers! I feel so happy!**


	4. Chapter 4 Hospital Drama

Dislamer: don't own Inuyasha...yet. (snickers)

Just to let everyone know, I'm really sorry for the delaied updatae. I had so much to do the past three days, I wasn't able to get around to it. And because the only computer that I have that works is over at my dads, so it could be a while to update in the future. BUT PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! I love you all, and God bless.

Chapter 4: Hospital drama

Inuyasha felt the air return to him in a sudden cough of life. He rolled off his back and onto his hands and knees, letting the blood drip from his lips. He coughed as the air burned his lungs and turned his throat dry. He held his gut, resting his head on the road as he took in slow, labored breathes. He concentrated, trying to remember what had happened, as the sweat dripped from his face and onto the floor. _I…remember…a light…changing. Moving…and a car… _Ha paused when he held his breath as a surge of pain shot threw him. _That's right…I was thrown from the car…and it rolled…KAGOME!_ His head shot up and his eyes met the street in front of him. He looked around, realizing he was curled up in the middle of the four-way intersection. His breathing quickened once more as he wildly glanced around for a body of some sort lying on the floor. He never expected to see what he saw; the car wrapped it's self around the poll, and the lamppost had fallen over it. He knew she was still inside, could smell her blood from where he sat, downwind.

"Kagome…" He muttered as he forced himself to his feet. He limped his way to the car, turned on its side and leaking oil. He didn't mind trudging threw the thick liquid, and slipping a few times before he made it to the over-turned vehicle. His body cried out, begged him stop moving, but he ignored the weep. He threw himself on the car, his legs giving out so suddenly from under him. He took a few breaths, resting his head on his arm, before he blindly fumbled for the door handle. His fingers met the silver flap, and he yanked. It didn't budge. It was crushed shut. Inuyasha lifted his head from his arm and glared at the door. _Please God…don't do this to me._

He took a breath, than climbed onto the side of the car. He put a foot on each side of the door, than with both hands, began to pull on the door. He forced all his strength into his hands and arms, and lifted with his legs. At first, it didn't seem to be working, but than he heard the metal beginning to creek open. He pulled harder, clenching his teeth and closing his eyes as he felt the door handle beginning to cut into his fingers. Than, with a jolt, the door flew open, knocking Inuyasha down on the floor.

More pain. Searing and stinging as he landed on his back in the oil, twisting his form in an unusual angle. He gasped as he felt every inch of his being protest against his actions to get up. He stumbled as he threw himself back onto the car, than lifted himself back on top of the car. He looked in side, squinting threw the dark and many hangings of wire and chair.

"Kagome? Kagome?" He cried, looking threw what little was left of the in side of his car. He heard no answer, but her sent was strong, and he knew she was close. He leaned inside the car, until the only thing that was keeping him from falling head first into the car was his feet. He began to dig threw the fallen metal and hunks of car parts, throwing them out the door and onto the streets. He reached for a hunk of the dash bored that had popped lose, and when he pulled it away, he found her. She was lying on her side, her face was scratched up and dripping on the spider-webbed window a foot from her head. Her shirt was shredded and her pants were as well. But the most disgusting image was her leg, bent backwards and tangled with the wires of the car. Inuyasha grimaced at her state, but swallowed the bile in his throat and reached a hand for her face.

"Kagome…" He traced her bruised cheekbone with the back of his hand, getting a grunt out of Kagome. She shifted, and her eyes fluttered open. She saw nothing but black car metal, before she slowly cocked her head up at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha…" She jumped, hoping to leap into his arms, but couldn't. Inuyasha felt his heart jump as well, and he soon had put both hands on her cheeks.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay," He cooed, rubbing a thumb under her eye. She smiled weakly, and put a hand on his arm. She closed her eyes as she let his warmth sooth her, but suddenly, she felt a jolt of pain run up her whole right side. She grimaced and tightened her grim on his arm. He gasped as her grip awakened a new injury in his wrist, but he did well to hide it before her eyes opened again.

"I…I don't feel too good," Kagome shuddered.

"It's gonna be okay," Inuyasha re-assured her, his face turning stern and serious. "I'm gonna get you out okay? Just stay with me." Kagome just replied with a nod and a swallow of blood. Inuyasha gave her face one last stroke before he began to slide his hands under her back. He held his breath as he began to lift her and himself out of the car, using nothing but his feet. They made it halfway when Kagome screamed. Inuyasha froze, nearly dropping her.

"What? What?" Inuyasha asked, eyes wide with fear.

"M-my leg…. It's stuck…" Kagome pointed to her leg and Inuyasha fallowed her finger. He saw that the irregularly bent leg was still wrapped up in the wires, and he bit his lip.

"Alright, hold on," Inuyasha ordered as he threw her top half over him and slid down to her leg. He took his clawed hand and swiped at the wires, cutting them cleanly away from her leg. Inuyasha could feel Kagome let out a relived breath as her leg fell freely from its bindings. Inuyasha blew a lock away from her face, before lifting himself back up to her level. He wrapped his arms around her waist once more, and began to lift her out of the car.

He felt himself slide out of the door, than poked his toes around blindly for the floor. He felt it, than eased his way all the way down, Kagome still in his arms. He pulled her, backing up as her body slowly emerged from the wreck. Her feet were the last to escape and her body fell against his, knocking him off balance. He grunted as her body met his and he tipped backwards and landed…once again…on his back, with her on top of him.

They lay there, both pairs of eyes closed, both looked still as the dead. Until something caught their ears. Inuyasha's eyes were the first to snap open, than Kagome's.

"What is that?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha didn't reply. He lifted his head from the floor and looked at the car. He heard the snapping and flicking of something coming from the car. His eyes fell upon the car sparks spiting from the engine. He smelled smoke, and his eyes widened. He held kagome to his body as he lifted himself from the floor and began sprinting away from the car. No less than tow seconds after he had began to run, did the sparks ignite the puddle of oil around the car, sending a the whole crash site into a roaring bond fire.

Inuyasha ran, knowing that the car would eventually blow up, but what should happen next? His adrenalin began to die, and the severe pain returned to him. His once large stride turned into stumbles as he began to tip over. He felt gravity pull on him, and soon, he felt himself being drawn to the street once again. He tuned himself at the last moment, landing with Kagome on top of him once more. (Oi, he likes to do that a lot, doesn't he?) Just as he hit the street, the car clicked and than exploded. Inuyasha gasped, and flipped himself over Kagome, who had passed out do to the major strain on her broken body. Inuyasha felt the heat of the fire brush up against his back, and only when he looked over his shoulder, did he realize that he was drenched in oil and head left a trail for the fire to fallow. He gasped and cursed as the fire bit as his shoes and lit the leg of his lower pants of fire. He sat up, putting the fire out on his pant leg than forcing him self backwards as the fire creped towards them. He kicked off the shoes and threw his vest off his body, than picked up Kagome and ran for the sidewalk.

He collapsed in the light of a lamppost; Kagome lay out on his lap. He panted, closing his eyes as he let the air return to his lungs. They lay there for a while, both so tired and in so much pain.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome gasped, knocking herself back into conciseness.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha replied, running his hands threw her hair, despite it's tangled form, and thick with blood.

"What do you think'll happen next?"

Inuyasha paused. "I don't know. Die, I guess."

Kagome nodded. "Aww. Me too."

An hour had pasted, and by now, Inuyasha had turned a deadly pail, and Kagome's body had grown ice cold. She shivered, and all Inuyasha could do was weakly rub his hands up and down her arms. _I can't do this any longer. _Inuyasha thought. _I'm…I'm dieing. WERE dieing. Kagome more so than I. Hasn't anyone called somebody? Surely someone could have heard all this ruckus _He gasped as he felt Kagome's body jerk. _Please God…Not yet. _Than, in the distance, Inuyasha could hear the faint wail of sirens. He cracked as eye open, thinking at first it was dream, and he forced his head to turn to the left. He saw them coming. The hospital trucks and police and fire truck! They came! They really came! And just in the nick of time, too. He heard the ambulance screech to stop right by the sidewalk they were sitting on. And soon, Inuyasha could hear men and women calling out orders to get out the stretchers and medicine. He wanted to move. Wanted to help them help Kagome. But his body wouldn't allow it. He felt them gather around him and Kagome, and felt them lift her still body from his lap and onto the stretcher.

"Inuyasha…Inuyasha…" Kagome mumbled in her sleep, as she was strapped to the stretch board. Inuyasha heard her, and wanted to go with her. Suddenly, a man was in his face.

"Sir? Sir, can you move?" The brown haired man asked, kneeling to Inuyasha's height.

Inuyasha fluttered his eyes closed and ever so gently shook his head. "I…I'll try."

The brown haired doctor stepped to the side, and squatted there, keeping a wary eye on Inuyasha. Inuyasha took in a few breathes of mental preparation, before forcing his body into action. He slowly leaned forward, grimacing every so often. He made it to his feet (finally) but only to feel another surge of pain rack his body. He jerked and screamed, tipping backwards almost as if he was frozen. Two doctors, thankfully, were standing by, and caught the falling Hanyou before he met the floor. They lowered his tense body to the ground, and he began to shiver just like Kagome.

"They're going into shock," Kagome overheard one doctor say. She didn't know what was going on. One moment she was lying happily (kind of) on Inuyasha's lap and the next she's sprawled out on some stone cold slab of wood. She tried to open her eyes, but nothing happened. She heard, she felt, she smelled, she tasted, but she could not see! _Hmm…_Kagome huffed in her mind_. Suddenly, I miss being able to see. _She paused in her mind, as she felt herself being lifted into the air. _What's going on? Where are they taking me? Where's Inuyasha? Wait…_Kagome could feel her chest ach with fear. _A car wreck…I got in another fucking car wreck! That damn Inuyasha! I'm never trusting his ass again…_Suddenly, she felt herself being laid on the floor again, along side someone. _Inuyasha most likely. _Kagome thought angrily. _I hope he dies… _Than, within her mind, she saw a light…a far off light, and a voice. It called to her, and Kagome could just barely recognize that voice. _F-father? _She soon found her subconscious self walking towards the blue light.

_" Requesting back up on east wing. Severe car accident on 7th and Maine. Involved; 18-year-old female. Black hair, brown eyes, going into shock. Head wounds are multiple. Expect brain damage. Immediate surgery required. Also fallowing, 18-year-old male. Silver hair, gold eyes, equally in shock. Crushed left rib cage. Punctured organs. Immediate surgery also required. Standing by…" _an ambulances rang into the hospital phone lines. Doctors were soon running threw the hall, some going to meet the ambulance, some preparing the operating rooms.

At 2:30, the ambulance arrived in the emergency loop on the east wing of the Hospital. They unloaded the two teenagers, and rushed them into the hospital within seconds.

They rushed to strip them of their clothes; scissors, knifes, anything to get the blooded garments off their bodies. They ripped their shirts down the middle, and began to perform the surgery on their tattered bodies.

All over the E.R, people were shouting orders to their nurses, commanding bizzar-operating equipment. They shouted things like, "Quickly! Get the scalpels! Internal bleeding is assured." And " Medical pads! We need more medical pads!" A doctor stripped the two fully of their clothes, and laid a blanket over them for privacy. Than, the doctor turned to a redheaded nurse and threw her the clothes.

"Ayame! Check the clothes for I.D. We'll need to contact relatives ASAP!" The girl nodded, and sprinted out the door as the doctor continued to work on his patients.

Ayame shuffled threw the clothes. Leaving no button unturned no pocket un emptied. She found a wallet in the girl's pant and took it out.

"Ah-ha!" She said, as she opened it and began to flip threw. She found a motorcycle driver's license, and began to read out loud the description.

"Okay, lessee here. Name: Higurashi, Kagome. Age: 18, Eye color: brown. Hair color: black. Number: 434-3512. Hmm…" Ayame paused, than flipped threw the wallet for any family number or friend number. Luckily, she found a small phone book in the back and saw the first name; Rin Taisho. She stopped, than began to look around the room she was in. She spotted a phone on a round table nearest the coat rack, and she ran over to pick it up. She began to dial the listed number, than healed the phone to her ear.

It rang a few times, than the other line clicked.

"Hello?" came a feminine voice.

"Hello, ma'am. Is this the…" she held the book up to her face. " Taisho family?"

"Yes it is. My ask who's calling?"

"I'm sorry. This is Ayame Richword, from Community Hospital…"

"Yes?" the girls voice became worried.

Ayame took in a breath, and said, "I'm afraid there's been an accident, involving a…Higurashi, Kagome?"

Ayame was interrupted by a hysteric gasp. "Oh my God…"

Ayame continued. "Are you a relative of this young lady?"

Rin paused. "No. I-I'm her friend. What happened? Are they alright?"

It was Ayame's turn to pause. "Well…we don't know. They're in the E.R as we speak, and are being taken care of. I assure you, though, they will make it." She could hear little Rin's sobbes over the phone, and it broke her heart. Every doctor dreaded having to call and inform the family and friends that their loved ones might not make it.

Ayame gave Rin a chance to breath, when she replied, "Would you mind terribly if you could drop by?"

"No, no, of course! We'll be there in a while." And with that, Rin hung up the phone. Ayame sighed, and hung her phone up as well. She bit her lip and put a hand on her hip.

"Oi, how I hate Hospital dramas!'

**Author's note: Sorry it took me to darn long to up-date. School and friends and other useless excuses. You know the whole story. ANYWHO. I forced myself to stay up late last…well; actually it's TO-night and write this chapter. Sorry if it was a bore. Serious writer's block tonight. Well, good night everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5 Choices

Chapter 5: Choices

Just to let you know, I've been sick for the past few days so I apologize if this chapter is somewhat…less dramatic than the previous four. DON"T HATE ME! K, enjoy.

The hospital was quiet now, when Rin, Sesshoumaru, Sango, and Miroku arrived in the waiting room. They sat in silence; fidgeting with anything they could to suppress their overwhelming fear. Rin sat in her husband's lap in a chair; her head lying on his shoulder as she braided a small lock of his hair, while he read a CELEBRATY magazine folded in his hands. Sango sat leaning forward on a couch, her hands folded and she twirled her thumbs around one another. Miroku scooted closer to her, and put a hand on each of her shoulders, and rested his head on hers. She leaned into him and felt his chin trembling on her head. She felt a sudden calmness as she realized that she wasn't the only one afraid here.

"Um, excuse me," came a clam, mousy voice from in front of them. Four heads shot up to meet the eyes of Ayame, a folder held close to her chest. "Are you the Higurashi accident party?"

"Yes we are," answered Sesshoumaru. Ayame smiled and took the vanilla folder from her chest and flipped it open.

"The driver was an unidentifiable male." She began, as she pulled a small, square picture paper-clipped to some papers, and laid it on the coffee table in front of the group. "We couldn't find any form of Identification on him or anything. Does he look familiar to any of you?" The group leaned forward to look at the picture, but frowned.

"He had no visual identification, so we had to take a picture of him in his present state," Ayame explained. "I apologize for the graphic nature. We understand if you can not make a decision with this photo."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. This is fine…"

Ayame turned to him and asked, "Why? Do you know who this young man is?"

"Yes," Sesshoumaru paused. He looked up at Ayame, with eyes deeper than the sea. "He's my brother."

The operating room was the total opposite of peace and quiet, however. Just because the operations were over, didn't mean there was still problems. Inuyasha struggled for breath, so he was hooked up to many a machine to keep his punctured left lung from collapsing, and Kagome was falling in and out of consciousness, and every so often, her heart monitor would flat-line.

Two doctors stayed at her side, prepared to jump-start her heart of it completely gave out, while two stayed at Inuyasha's side, monitoring his breathing. They had both passed out not long after they had awoken from their surgery, and the doctors were beginning to worry if they had fallen into a coma.

"How is she?" asked one of the doctors by Inuyasha.

"She's doing better. She hasn't flat-lined in a while, so that's a plus," answered one of the doctors, as she propped Kagome between two thick, body length boards at each of her sided. They believed Kagome was paralyzed on the right side, and any movement might leave her _permanently _paralyzed.

"What about him?" asked the doctor, gesturing to Inuyasha.

"He's doing…better," replied the doctor, with a bit of hesitation. The other doctor cringed and looked down at her patent, Kagome, who slept still and cold. The other doctor looked down at Inuyasha, whose face was wrinkled with pain, and his whole body shook with every labored breath.

**In Kagome's head**

"What's going on? Where am I?" Hollered Kagome, as she darted around. She found herself in what looked like a blue fog; wet and sticky on her bare legs. She looked around, and saw nothing but more fog. Even the sky held a hazed, gray-blue look. Hmm. She hummed with a frown. She began to walk around, the fog splitting every time she took a step. She called, hoping that anyone, someone would hear her and find her. Being alone…never sat well with her. 

"Hello? I-is anyone here? Hello!" She called over and over, but heard nothing. Suddenly, she stumbled, and heard the splash of water. She gasped and looked down to her outstretched foot. _Water?_ Than, she heard a voice. Calling…screaming in the distance. Her head shot up to see the fog parting, revealing what looked like the body of a black car, head down in the water. She gasped as she saw hands pressed up against the glass windows and silhouettes of faces screaming inside the sinking car. She saw the face of a little girl, crying and screaming, pounding on the window in attempts to break it. Kagome made brief eye contact with the little girl, but a brief moment was all she needed.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Kagome screeched, before she jumped into the water and started running towards the car. She reached out her hand as she saw the car slowly sinking farther and deeper into the water, but for some odd reason, the further Kagome ran, the water never reached further than her ankles. But she didn't pay attention to that. She had to save that little girl. She was three feet away from the window, but when she stretched out her fingers to touch the window, she found herself suddenly standing back on the bay of the lake.

"What the…" She looked around her feet and saw she was standing on solid ground once again. She began to panic when she looked back up and saw that the car was inches away from being completely submerged.

"N-no!" She cried one last time, before she made eye contact with the little girl. She gasped. _I…I know that face…_She took a step back. _I-it can't be…It's not possible…_ she felt the space around her begin to cloud, and her body became heavy and weak. _It's me…that little girl was me!_ Just as she thought that, the little girl closed her eyes, and the car slipped under the surface.

All it took was a blink, and suddenly, Kagome was transported into the back seat of the car. She panicked and looked around wildly. The little girl was no longer there, but she could see two adults sitting in the front seat of the car. She gasped and reached for them.

"Father—" But she was stopped by a seatbelt that held her fast to the seat. She grunted as she was forced back onto the seat, and than looked down at the belt. She reached over and tried to unbuckle herself, but ht e buckle was jammed. She began to cry, fettling with the buckle; hitting it and cursing at it to open. But it didn't budge. She heard a crack, and her headshot up to the window to her left. She saw that hand prints on the window. The little girl's handprints. HER handprints. She felt her body run cold, as she scooted closer to the window. She saw the clear water rolling around her outside the window. It was just as she remembered it.

It was so beautiful; the clear lake and the lushes green grass that grew around the lake. Sakura flowers blossomed and petals had fallen the water. They were on their way to pick up her brother, Sota from their grandparent's house, when a drunk…came across the bridge. Her parent's had topped on the side of the road to look at the beautiful site, and that's when…

She placed her hands on the prints on the window. Her hands were much bigger now, and so much more mature looking. She sat there for a moment, feeling the cold glass under her fingers as her mind when back to when she was young, and when her father was still alive. A tear ran down her face, and dripped off her chin as she bowed her head. Her fingers shifted on the glass, as she left herself fall into despair.

"Daddy…" She choked. "I'm so sorry…" her body racked as she sobbed, and she let her hands slide off the glass and onto her lap. She slid down the seat and curled in a ball right there in the back. She closed her eyes and took in a breath…than the crack sounded again. She gasped and shot up just in time to see the front window burst, and a flood of water came gushing inside. Kagome let out a scream as the water washed up to her ankles in less than a few seconds. She lifted her feet up and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her breathing quickened as she watched the water climb up to the seat. Than she heard another crack and an instant later, the window at her left burst, and she felt herself being forced down on the seat by the current.

"No!" She screamed, holding her hands out to stop the water. "It's just like before! It's exactly the same thing! EXACTLY!" she screamed as the water engulfed her body, and now she was pressed against the top of the roof, taking in what little air she had left. She felt the water climb up her neck…her ears…her chin…her lips. Than, with one breath, she let out a scream as the water covered her whole face.

**Back to reality**

Kagome's eyes flashed open, and her body jolted as a gasp escaped her lips. Than, her body fell limp, and so did the line on the heart monitor.

"She flat-lined again!' Cried the doctor, in hopes of attracting some assistance. Than doctors came flying out of nowhere, pulling on their doctor jackets and face masks. The girl doctor had ducked for a few seconds, than pulled out the Shockers. (I don't know what they call them). Meanwhile, another doctor hand torn Kagome's shirt open to grant access for the jump-starters, while one other had put in the balloon pump in Kagome's mouth (I don't know what they call those either.)

"Alright, clear!" Cried the shirt-ripper doctor. Instantly, the girl doctor planted the jump-starters on either side of Kagome's chest and pulled the trigger. A wave of electricity when threw Kagome's body, and her chest jumped for an instant. The doctor pumped the balloon full of air into Kagome's mouth three times. They all looked to the heart machine. Nothing.

"Clear!" cried the doctor once again. The girl shocked Kagome again. Pumped three times again. Nothing.

"Clear!" Jolt. Pump. Heart monitor. Nothing. They tried over and over, but got the same result, but they never gave up.

"Clear!"

**Limbo**

Kagome still screamed, holding her head as she felt the water run over her. Than suddenly…it was gone. She paused as her breath came harsh and burned her lungs. She pocked her head out from under her arms and saw black. She blinked, than brought her head up all the way. She looked around; to the left, than to the right. Than down. She was sitting in fog again, but it was white and felt…. cold. She stood up, letting the air from her movements part the fog from where she sat. She could see flowers. Dark, red roses, to be exact. She felt her heart relax, as she moved a lock of her hair behind her era.

_I don't understand. _Thought Kagome as she put a hand over her heart. _Now where am I?_ Suddenly, she saw a light in the corner of her eye. Her head shot up and looked to the end. With the way the light flooded inside, she relived she was in a tunnel. She turned around and faced it completely, than saw a figure standing into the light. She squinted and though, _Who the hell…_ She took step forward…than another. Soon, she found herself walking towards the light and also felt it getting…steadily warmer. She began to like where she was going, and her pase quickened.

**Reality**

"Clear!" Cried the doctor, one last time. The female doctor responded by shocking Kagome once more, and the other doctor pumped the air balloon in Kagome's mouth. They all looked to the heart monitor, still playing that eerie sound of death. The Doctor's sighed and bowed their heads, as they gave up their attempts to save the girl. The Female Doctor slowly put the machine away and stood back up to face the cold face of the dead Kagome. The doctor sighed and rubbed the back of her hand on Kagome's cheek. The other doctors parted, one going back to Inuyasha, one disappearing threw a curtain that separated the room from another, and the other to a cabinet near Kagome's bed. He picked up a clip bored and pen and clicked the pen open. He put the pen to the paper and read out loud what he wrote.

"Time of death… 4:00." The minute that was set in pen, Inuyasha's eyes snapped open. The doctor standing beside him jumped and dropped a glass cup of water. The cup met the tile floor, and shattered, sending a pool of glass and water around Inuyasha's bed. Every doctor took notice of the accident and rushed to help clean up the mess, but Inuyasha didn't seem to even realize where he was. He looked around the room, a stupefied look on his face. His eyes trailed a circle around the room, until his eyes fell upon the body of Kagome.

His eyes, though face limp with no emotion but dumfounded, widened at the site of her pail-than-usual skin. Inuyasha's breathing quickened and his jaw twitched.

"K-kagome.." Everything around him seemed to move in slow motion, as he slipped from the bed, and put his feet on the wet floor. A hunk of glass – the curved bottom of the glass – shattered under his feet, and dug into the soles of his heels. He didn't notice. He didn't feel, he only ran. Ran to her side and fell to his knees, gripping his hand in hers. Only when he started screaming, did the doctors notice him.

"KAGOME! KAGOME, I'M SORRY, I'M SO SORRY. PLEASE! PLEASE COME BACK! I'M SORRY!" Two of the doctors ran to his side and grabbed him by the shoulders and began to talk to him.

"It's all right, it's gonna be all right." They cooed, but their voices went unheard as Inuyasha swiped their hands away and continued to cry. He put his forehead on the top of her hand and let his tears fall on her cold skin.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

**Limbo**

Kagome only had a few feet left to go before she would reach the opening of the tunnel. The light hit her cold skin and she smiled and closed her eyes, as she was engulfed with comfort. One last step, and she'd be in what she believed was heaven. She reached out her hand, rise of light stretching from the openings of her fingers and golden autumn leaves began to blow around her…when she heard a voice. She froze, inches from the gates to heaven, and looked back into the cold darkness behind her. Her eyes were curious and wide, and she looked around for the cause of the cry.

"Kagome!" Said the voice, distant but she could tell it was screaming. She turned all the way around, her back to the light, and starred into the distance.

"Kagome! Please, come back!"

Kagome blinked and took a step forward. "W-who's there? Who are you?" All she heard was her name cried again. She took a step back, her hand held to her chest. _I know that voice…_ She thought, as she starred into the black.

"Inuyasha?" she hollered to the dark.

"Please, come back, Kagome! I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen! Kagome, come back!"

Kagome gasped. _It is Inuyasha! _Kagome said, with a bit of anger. She frowned and turned her back on the voice.

"Forget it, Inuyasha," she screamed to nothing. " I trusted you. Put my life in your hands, and now I'm dead." She bowed her head, and her angered face softened into a sad smile. "Besides," she said in low whisper. "I can be with my dad, now. I don't have to worry about life anymore." She looked to the floor, to see the mist, white and velvety flowing like a river over her ankles. She smiled and looked up, tears in her eyes and her hand still over her heart. She took in a breath, and took a step forward into the tunnel opening. She was almost all the way inside, when she froze once again. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened slightly. She turned to face the dark end again and could hear the echo of what she could only describe…as sobbing.

"He…he's crying… Crying for me." She paused, and thought for a moment. "He's never cried before, even when his parents died. Is he really…that miserable now?" Than she thought back…about how many people she would be leaving behind. Sango… Miroku…Rin and Sesshoumaru. Her mother, her brother, her grandma and grandpa. Her collage, her success… Her Inuyasha. She sighed, and looked to the floor once more. She watched the mist float over her feet, than turned and looked into the light of heaven. It was so warm and welcoming. She didn't want to leave it! But…Inuyasha. She looked back into the cold, forbidding darkness, where Inuyasha's voice beckoned her. Her sad face dropped and she shook her head.

"Oi, Inuyasha…" She thought as she smiled to herself. "I hate you." With that, she turned and sprinted into the darkness, leaving the light of heaven behind. She didn't look back. She couldn't. If she did, she would turn around. She felt the warm leave and the cold consume her. She clenched her eyes shut as she felt pain wrap around her right side. She bit back the pain as a tear ran from her clenched eyes. She felt one last wave of freezing air, before she was tossed into a vortex of light, and the next thing she knew, she was taking in her first breath of air.

**Author's note: Oi, guys. I'm really sorry it took me so long to post. My dad was at work for like…a week and a half. It was pathetic. Well, anyway. Hope this chappy made up for the lack of updating. Again, I'm really sorry about all this. **


	6. Chapter 6 Home

Chapter 6: Home

Kagome felt herself suddenly up right, ripping the restraints from her arms and chest as she flung her top half off the bed. Inuyasha barely had time to blink before Kagome found herself to his arms. His arms gripped around her, even thought he had no idea what was going on, and he dug the pads of his fingers in her skin, testing to see if what he was now holding in his arms was tangible. Kagome's breathing was raspy and slow and her head sat between Inuyasha's bare neck and shoulder. Her eyes were wide and her hair was frizzy and in her face. Whenever she breathed, her hair would fan out in front of her face and fall back against her nose and lips, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were wide with confusion as her breathing finally began to speed up, and when she felt Inuyasha under her hands, she held him tighter. Inuyasha felt her arms tighten around him and he responded by squeezing her back. He clenched his eyes shut and let her sweet aroma fill his burning lungs, and he could only kneel in silence as he felt her chest heave against his. Kagome's hands moved from his lower back to his shoulders when she finally understood what was going on.

_I'm alive…_she thought as she clenched her eyes shut as well and berried her tear ridded face in Inuyasha's silvery locks. _I'm really alive…_ Finally, after an audience of doctors came gliding into the room, they broke apart. They took a moment to look into each other's eyes; Inuyasha's soft and caring and Kagome's glittery with tears and full of happiness. A tear escaped Kagome's eyelid and it slowly snaked its way down her cheek. Using his thumb, Inuyasha swiped it away before it could run past her nose. Kagome watched that movement, and saw the crystal tear on the side of Inuyasha's thumb, and she could see her reflection in it. She blinked, switching her attention from his finger to his face in a single motion. Inuyasha smiled at her, and she smiled back.

There are times when words are the only things that settle the mood, but sometimes saying nothing…is saying enough. Both were lost in gratefulness and hope, and absence of words had managed to wipe itself across the lips of not only Inuyasha and Kagome, but also all the doctors that stood in awe around the bed where Kagome lay and Inuyasha kneeled.

The silence was short lived when the red-haired wolf demon doctor, Ayame, who approached the pair with her pail little hands tucked innocently behind her back.

"Uh…excuse me," she began, her mousy little voice tickling Inuyasha's ears. Kagome and Inuyasha looked up at her with big eyes, awaiting her to finish. Ayame scratched the back of her head nervously, and looked away as Inuyasha stood up beside Kagome.

"I uh…" she bit her lip and held back an embarrassed chuckle. "Not to put a damper on this touching moment but…you're both naked." Red is an understatement when explaining how dark Inuyasha and Kagome's cheeks grew when they looked down at their nude selves exposed for the whole room sized audience to see. Kagome screeched and scrambled for her gray bed blankets as she shoved it over her exposed self and lay flat on the bed, hyperventilating. Inuyasha made a mad dash for HIS bed and grabbed a sheet off it and quickly tied it around his waist before anyone had a chance to blink. The doctors broke out into loud hysterics, and sweet little Ayame was amongst them. A bit quieter than the rest, she chuckled and rubbed her forehead with her thumb and pointer finger, before retreating threw the swinging doors to tell a very nervous party about the very good news.

The doctors parted as well, going every which way as the room was soon empty, with nothing but an embarrassed beyond life hanyou, and a hysteric, spazzing high school graduate girl tight as a board on her bed. After the room had fallen silent, Kagome spoke out.

"And to think I came back for this,' she said to herself. She than said aloud, "I hate you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked up from the hands that covered his slowly-returning-to-normal-color face and frowned.

"What?"

"I hate you," Kagome repeated, but in a playful tone. It took a while for Inuyasha to realize she was kidding, but when she cocked her head in his direction and smiled warmly, he understood.

He smiled back and replied, "Oh really? Why?"

Kagome looked away, thought still holding that playful 'I want to make him suffer' look, and said. "Because. I was this close to getting into heaven, and you had to go and ruin it."

"No I didn't," Inuyasha said.

"Yes you did. All your fault. All of it!" She said with a teenager cock of her head.

Inuyasha silently chuckled to himself and looked to his lap. "No I didn't."

"YES…. YOU DID!" Kagome said louder, before folding her hands over her breast and huffed.

Inuyasha shook his head and smiled. "No. I can tell you wanted to come back."

"How?" Kagome snapped.

Inuyasha looked up at her with a serious face and replied, "Because denied heaven for earth." Kagome's eyes widened and a silent gasp escaped her mouth. _He's right…but it wasn't for the earth…_

Ayame made her way down the hall to the party awaiting news about Inuyasha and Kagome, a big smile on her face and a clipboard tucked under her arm. She turned a corner and was face to face with Sesshoumaru, Rin, Sango and Miroku, who looked up at her with wide, desperate eyes. She gave them a warm smile and locked her hands in front of her.

_… It was for him._

**Author's note: Ha-row. Your prayers worked. I LIKE INUYASHA AGAIN! WEEEEEEEEE! A-hem, anyway. Sorry it took so long to up-date. I'm really trying hard to keep up, and I thank you for staying with me this far. Question- do you guys want a lemon or two…or three? Cause my partner and I was strongly debating if we should post a lemon or not. So we need your input on it. Chances are we will even if you say no, but just as a topics reference…and to see if you guys really read these stupid author's note thing-ees. **


	7. Chapter 7 Survivors

Chapter 7: Survivors

It was quiet now…for the first time in three long hours, it was truly calm. Inuyasha lay on his back, his hands lightly folded on his chest as he slept silently. Kagome was strapped to the bed once more, but aside from the thick strips of red across her forehead, collarbone, hips, legs and feet, she looked relatively peaceful. The only sound was that of their heart monitors, sounding to the beat of their hearts at a now steady beat. They looked so comfortable and calm, that the doctors often forgot why they were even there…until they saw their injuries. They looked so relaxed, that little Rin was afraid to even enter in fear of waking her injured friends.

She cracked open one swinging door, peeking her black-haired head threw the gap and peered into the white and gray room. She saw the two sleeping soundly, and with the light that hung over their beds shining so pail on their exposed skin, they looked dead. Rin walked in, stepping aside to Sesshoumaru and the others could enter. They slipped in, their slipper-covered feet padding the ground with a soft 'pft, pft'. They saw Kagome and Inuyasha asleep in their beds, looking pail and cold. Rin put a shacking hand to her chin, and willed herself to move towards her brother-in-law. She and Sesshoumaru circled his bed, a cautious eye on their fallen friend as they stopped at his side. Miroku and Sango did the same, circling around Kagome's bed and stopping at her side.

"They look…dead," Rin whispered.

"They look it, yes. But their not," Sesshoumaru said, reaching a clawed hand for Inuyasha's at his side. He took the hand in his, letting Inuyasha's fingers fan out in his palms as if to compare sizes. Inuyasha felt the touch, but to whom it came from he didn't know. He let his eyes wander open, meeting the ceiling, than floating down to Sesshoumaru's bowed head. Inuyasha's eyes widened and he lifted his head slightly off the pillow.

"S-Sesshoumaru…" He managed to get out. That little episode of his actually walking and talking left his body sore and weak, and now he barely had enough energy to talk. Sesshoumaru's head snapped up and his eyes met Inuyasha's. Rin gasped, feeling her heart leap out her chest and her eyes widen. Sesshoumaru had to steady his excitement even though it shook his body in impatient waves, as he watched his brother force himself up onto his elbows. Sesshoumaru couldn't believe it. He had to touch him. Reassure himself that the thing in front of him was tangible and alive. He drew a quick hand to his brother's face and nearly collapsed when he felt the very real flesh burn beneath his fingertips. Inuyasha put a hand on the one placed on his check and clenched it with weak fingers.

"Brother," Inuyasha managed to get out, before they jumped into each other's arms. Sesshoumaru wouldn't cry. Couldn't. Though his body was so full of strong emotions just begging to be exposed, he held it in, only pushing his brother's body into his own to reassure himself he wouldn't fade away like a dream. He dug his fingertips into Inuyasha's back. Put a hand on his head and felt the hair. He was real. He was real and he was alive. Sesshoumaru never felt fear or worry or utter despair until he heard of his brother's close brush with death, and he never wanted to let go now. He feared even a piece of cotton could tear Inuyasha away from him forever. He'd protect him from anything and everything. Nothing would keep his brother from living. Ever since his mother died, and his father…and even though Inuyasha was only his half brother, he was still the only family Sesshoumaru had left. Losing him would mean that HE would be the only one left. His unborn daughter would not only have no Grandfather or Grandmother, but no uncle or possibly aunt. His only child would grow up in a small and broken family, and he didn't want that. Oh thank God his brother lived. Thank god he could hold him in his arms again. Thank god, thank god…. Thank GOD!

They parted, both cheeks dry but both rosy with happiness. Sesshoumaru's hand came up once more and he ran a finger under his brother's soft bottom eyelid, feeling the long hairs on his top eyelash brush his skin.

Sesshoumaru starred into the golden orbs of his brother's eyes before he felt the gentle tap of Rin on his shoulder. He looked up and could see in her face that she too wanted to make sure Inuyasha was real and alive. Sesshoumaru stood up and took a step back, letting Rin step forward. The very site of him caused her legs to buckle and she fell to the ground on her knees. Inuyasha turned in attempts to catch her, but was too late, and in that quick motion sent a sting of pain threw his side. Rin looked up at him, tear soaked eyes and puffy lips, and gently wrapped her arms around his neck, taking him into a hug. Inuyasha gladly returned the embrace.

The thick thud of Rin landing on the floor caused Kagome to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she met the blue orbs of Sango leaning…a little too close for comfort. Kagome gasped and sat-well tried to sit up but was stopped by her restraints. Kagome only had time to blink before Sango threw herself on the bound Kagome.

"Ngh!" Kagome grunted as she felt Sango's body flop on hers.

"Gyaaa, Kagome, you're alive!" Sango cried, bearing her face in Kagome's black locks.

Kagome felt the wind forced from her lungs…again and she began to struggle against her friend's death grip.

"C-can't…B-breath…SANGO GET OFF!" Kagome managed to eek out, sending Sango strait up in the air.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Sango plead under Kagome's cough. Kagome rubbed her neck and glared at Sango with burning eyes.

"Aside from the fact you crush my wind pipe, yeah!" Sango cringed and said a mousy 'sorry' under her breath. Miroku laughed and made his way to the opposite side of the bed.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're alive, Kagome."

_Barely_

"I had to admit you had me worried," said Miroku with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah, it's…nice to be here."

_Though heaven seems quite pleasant at the moment._

Inuyasha forced his upper body onto his elbow's (now that he had reassured his brother and sister-in-lawthat he was alive and wellto look at Kagome across the room.

"So," began Inuyasha in a tired voice. "Welcome back to the Land of the Living, Miss Higurashi."

Kagome shook her head and gave a sarcastic line of chuckles. "Oh ha, ha. You don't look half dead yourself, MR. TAISHO."

Inuyasha smiled at her, but it wasn't a laughing smile. It was more of a warm, and glad smile. He was glad to know they survived that crash, but even more…that Kagome actually came back to life. Weather it was for him of for her won desire to live, he didn't know. But all that mattered was that she was alive and well….kind of.

The swinging doors creaked and all heads turned to face the lady nurse, Ayame who stood with a pleased and contagious smile.

"And how are our two patients this evening?" she said, as she glided her way into the room. As she approached the beds, Rin and Sango Miroku stood up from their kneeling points on the floor as a silent greeting and to give her room to work.

"I uh…feel a little rusty," Inuyasha said, rolling his arm up and down as if expecting to hear his joints squeak.

Ayame laughed, holding her little clipboard to her chin. "Well, that's natural, Mr. Taisho. You have 7 metal ribs and hip bone now."

Inuyasha nearly stopped breathing, and even his heart monitor skipped a beat.

"Excuse me?"

Ayame turned and walked over to some gray cabinets, as she flipped threw the papers pinned to her clipboard. "You had a car roll over you at 45 miles an hour. The fact that you escaped with 7 broken ribs and a shattered hipbone is a miracle."

Inuyasha twitched just at the thought of how they had to replace his ribs and hipbone with metal. It made his skin crawl.

"Is that really all?" Sesshoumaru asked, clasping his hands together in front of him.

"No," Ayame answered, her back still to them. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves and let them snap. " Punctured lung, heart and stomach. Cracked hipbone, SHATTERED hipbone. Broken face, collapsed left ribcage, and uh…oh yeah! We had to cut off your penis."

"WHAT?" Inuyasha screamed at the top of his lungs, closing his legs and squeezing his knees together as tight as he could.

Ayame burst out in laughter, holding her sides and turning red. Seeing Inuyasha's horrified look, she collected herself and said, "I was just kidding. You're absolutely fine."

Inuyasha let out an exasperated breath; falling back against his pillows as if the trauma sucked out every ounce of energy he had left. The others around him joined Ayame in laughing in Inuyasha's expense.

"He Doc, what about me? Can I be unstrapped now?" Asked Kagome, after the laughing died down to minor chuckles.

Ayame stood up strait and whipped a tear from her eye before she answered, " I'm afraid not, Ms. Higurashi. We fear you might be paralyzed. Any sudden movements like sitting up could guarantee that." She paused, turning back to the cabinets and grabbing two shots from the counter, before walking between the beds.

"But I already sat up quick," Kagome said with a tint of alarm. "When I came back from the dead, remember? Does…. that mean I'm paralyzed?"

Ayame turned to Inuyasha, holding the shot up to the light, flicking the bottle and letting a little squirt out. "We don't know. Probably. But knowing you're luck, you'll be up and walking within a weak or two." She pricked Inuyasha in the shoulder without warning, gaining a displeased 'hey!' out of him, before withdrawing the needle.

"It's to dentin the pain. You'll feel a bit sore soon, so I wanted to catch it before it got really bad."

"Soon? Aren't I in enough pain already?" Inuyasha said, a little worried.

Ayame turned to Kagome as she said, "You're not feeling the beginning of it."

Inuyasha gulped, and looked away. Rin patted Inuyasha on the shoulder and gave him a small one-armed hug.

Kagome shifted a little, cringing in the process…than paused.

"I…can't feel my right side." She turned her face to look at Ayame. "Is that natural?"

"Actually yes. THIS is the only injury that truly makes since. You've lost feeling in your entire right side. And…we doubt you'll ever gain it back. You're face won't go sliding off your skull, but if someone were to say punch you, you wouldn't feel a thing."

Kagome 'hmmed' to her self and looked away. "I could use that to an advantage."

"Now don't go getting any idea, Higurashi," Ayame said, bending down, and giving Kagome a prick in the right shoulder. Kagome, of course, didn't feel a thing. "The last thing we need is to see you here again with more injuries."

"Yeah," Kagome chuckled to herself and looked into the light hanging over her bed.

"God forbid."

_**Author's note: I am SO sorry it took me so long to update. I have had serious writer's block the past weak and have FINALLY found the motivation to write! And I didn't wanna give you guys a piece of crap chapter so I tried to put a lot of thought into this chappy. Hope you guys liked it! **_


	8. Chapter 8 Back to the apartment

Dancing-Shadows: Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! My partner in crime-I mean-writing, Bleeding-roses is here too! And HERE SHE IS!

Bleeding-roses16 here, Hey peeps! Sorry that Shadows is a slacker but I can't help her with that… maybe. Well, we're getting this thing done (You: Yeah right!) No! really we are! ) Here you go…. More story.

Dancing-Shadows: Trader (anyway, here you go.

Chapter 8: Back to the apartment

Two weeks later, our story continues with a bit of a…humorous twist. After a tuff few weeks of rehabilitation, Kagome Higurashi and Inuyasha Taisho were finally released from the Hospital, and did it feel good to stretch their legs.

The glass doors to the hospital flew open, and out walked Kagome and Inuyasha' pausing on the sidewalk as the sun hit their parched and pail skin.

"Oh my GOD! This feels so…GOOD!" Kagome screeched as she stretched her long arms above her head, and titled her head towards the early day's sun. \

Inuyasha took a step forward to join Kagome at her side, and also tilted his head to the day.

"I know! It's nice to be able to bask in something OTHER than artificial lights." Kagome smiled at that, and took in her first breath of fresh air. Inuyasha tried to as well, but was sharply corrected after a dull pain zipped up his side, and recoiled. Perhaps maybe…he wasn't as healthy as he thought.

Kagome had heard Inuyasha's breath cut short, and she turned her head towards him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, raising a tentative hand to his shoulder. Inuyasha held a palm to his rib cage, and hastily nodded despite his condition. No sense worrying an already paranoid Kagome.

Kagome bit her lip, knowing that Inuyasha was trying to cheer her up, and she took a step away, falling for his pitiful attempt to cheer her up. Inuyasha shoved his pain to the depths of his mind, and forced his body to stand up strait and proud.

"Shall we?" he asked with a cock of his head, arching his elbow to escort her.

Kagome's fallen smile suddenly came back, and she wrapped an arm around his and nodded.

"We shall."

They walked their way down the heated and bustling sidewalk of down town Tokyo, passing by people who…seemed to be starring at them rather strangely. They passed a four-way intersection, and were stopped in their passing by a wave of traffic.

Inuyasha tightened his fists when his eyes traced the intersection. Kagome double took at him then looked ahead.

"Does this place look familiar?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Inuyasha swallowed hard and nodded. "Never thought we'd have to pass it again."

"Our apartment is right in front of it. Like it or not, we'll have to face it every day."

Inuyasha glanced down at her. "Thanks for the comfort, Kagome."

"You're welcome!" Kagome replied. The walking sings beeped, and Kagome stepped onto the road, ready to cross it. Inuyasha was a bit hesitant, though. _Kagome had been unconscious during a good portion of the accident. _Inuyasha thought as he watched Kagome reach the middle of the cross walk. _She doesn't remember how it looked or what really happened…but I do…Oh, I do. _

Kagome had crossed the street and turned around expecting to see Inuyasha at her side, but realized that he was still standing on the other side.

"Come on, slow poke! The sign wont stay lit forever!"

Inuyasha gulped and looked down at his feet, as if to telepathically force them to move.

They didn't.

Inuyasha looked up at Kagome with a pitiful look-as if to say "they won't work. Their broken."

Kagome scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Inuyasha! I know this frightens you, but you've got to get over it!"

Inuyasha let out a breath. _She's right… unfortunately…Oi, do I really have to do this?_

"Do I really have to do this?" he mimicked the voice in his head.

Kagome glared at him and nodded. "Yes, Inuyasha. Ya do!"

Inuyasha licked his lips and looked back down at his feet. _Okay feet. You will do as I say. I own you, now obey me! Walk! Damn it, walk! _He was determined to concur his fear-Inuyasha was never one to let indefatigable, terrifying trepidation hold him back. He took step off the curb, but before he could congratulate himself for getting that far, the cross walk sign switched to the hand, and traffic immediately flew by him. Inuyasha gasped a stumbled back onto the sidewalk, glad to know that a wheel of a car missed his toes by an inch or so. Kagome scoffed and let her arms fall from their perched positions on her hips.

"You're Pathetic, Inuyasha!" she yelled over the traffic.

"Oh shut up, Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed back.

Kagome shook her head and turned away, shoving a hand threw her hair. Then, a store down the street caught her eye.

"Ooooo! T.V! T.V! T.V!" Kagome suddenly broke out, jumping up and down and clapping her hands, before she sprinted for the shop.

Inuyasha had turned his back for a moment and already she had disappeared from site. Letting his mind play the worse case scenario, he thought that she might have been kid-napped or hit by a stray car, or some other UNLIKACLLY case. He made a mad dash across the street when it was clear enough, and came to a screeching halt where he last saw Kagome standing. He looked around for any sign of a skinny, black haired girl wearing hospital-borrowed green pants and a baggy white t-shirt. He spotted her (after a good five minuets of scanning) standing plastered to the glass of a window to a T.V store.

He let out a prolonged breath; drawing a hand up to his heart to ease it's thumping, than he sprinted up to her.

Kagome was watching a portion of the local news when Inuyasha came skidding to a halt at her side.

"Dumb girl! Why the hell'd you go runnin' off without telling me--"

"SHHHHHH!" Kagome interrupted, batting a hand in his direction. Inuyasha scoffed and took a step away from her hand.

"What the—what the hell are you watching, any ways?"

"The news now shuddup!"

Inuyasha blew a lock out of his face, and rolled his eyes in the TV's direction, catching the last bit of a report. She saw a middle aged woman starring at him with deep brown eyes, a stack of papers in her hand as she read her report.

"And in other news, the accident of the century occurred just last week during 1:30 a.m. at the Hannakimi intersection on North and Main…."

"Hey that's were WE are!" Kagome whispered over at Inuyasha. By this time, Inuyasha had given the television his full attention and was listening ever so closely.

" It involved two teenagers thought to be ONLY around the ages of 18 to 19. Officials say that it was a hit and run accident, though paramedics were stunned to discover that the hit-and-run vehicle was able to drive away from such an accident."

Suddenly, the screen switched to a man dressed in a white, almost lab coat like shirt talking into a mike held by a hidden person. They appeared to be at the since of the accident.

"We can neither deny nor confirm that the other vehicle was able to get away. As you can see, the remains of the other car have been reduced to nothing more than burnt scraps of metal." The man stood to the side to reveal a team of fire fighters distinguishing little fires and scooping up hunks of charcoaled car metal. Then, the screen switched back to the lady reporter. Inuyasha and Kagome had barely realized the crowed that began to gather around them, but Kagome did notice the look slowly glowing behind Inuyasha's eyes.

"This is a video of the accident caught on a surveillance camera perched on one of the traffic lights. Parents with children are strongly cautioned." Suddenly, there was live footage…on public Television of something Inuyasha hoped he'd never have to see again. He saw that car pull out, and immediately knew that that car was his own. The screen was in black and white, and the quality was poor, but it was enough for Inuyasha to feel like he was back behind the wheel. His breath became slow and his eyes burned-wanting to blink but too lost to do so. He prayed—hoping and bluffing to his own mind that this was a dream or not even themselves they were seeing on the screen. Suddenly, that other car appeared and t-boned the passenger side of the other car. Inuyasha gasped and flinched, his eyes finally blinking in attempts to erase the memory that had just awakened it's self. Kagome's once amused eyes were suddenly wide and she felt her hands slide down the glass, and she took a step back .

"The stray car connected with a other car with speeds clocking at 65 miles per hour." Said the woman reporter's voice as the tape went on. Inuyasha felt as though he'd throw up as he saw himself fly out of the car, and then see it roll over him. He flinched again, as if being able to feel the car roll over him again. He drew a hand up to his rib cage-the side that had been crushed by the car. Kagome, even though a bit miffed, still found herself fascinated by the sight. Even though it was clear to her that the people she was watching was herself and a close friend, she had been unconscious threw ought pretty much all of that ordeal. She didn't remember a thing—besides the pain, any way. She wanted to know what happened. To her. To Inuyasha. She wanted to know exactly what happened, and since she knew Inuyasha would not want to tell her, she tried to milk the information given for all it was worth. The reporter went on.

"As you can tell, in would be pretty much impossible for ANYONE to crawl away from that. But if you look closely, you can see the driver in the middle of the street actually STANDING AND WALKING over to the car, which is now off screen. If we fast forward this a little, you will see the two teenagers running away from the car, before an explosion occurs." The audiences gasped when they heard the explosion, and were left speechless when the camera was suddenly destroyed by the blast. The crowd and Inuyasha and Kagome stood starring at the fizzy screen-literally in shock. Than the voice of the woman began again, and the screen was back on her.

"The two teens were released from Community Hospital today, just after a week of rehabilitation, and are now identified as Driver: Inuyasha Taisho and passenger: Kagome Higurashi." The screen showed two pictures of Kagome in Inuyasha in very likeness of mug shots, and the crowed gasped again. Kagome and Inuyasha suddenly felt their hearts leap to their throats when they saw their pictures now on display for the whole—and might I add- HUGE crowed to see. And the reporter made manners worse, as she explained the injuries they suffered and what they went threw "And yet they're still alive" and so on and so fourth. Inuyasha and Kagome's body went ridged and they glanced at each other threw the corners of their eyes. They both looked at each other as if to say "do we dare look behind us?" They decided that they did dare, and the extremely slowly glanced behind them.

To their dismay, the whole crowed was starring right into their eyes , with amazed and gawking faces. Kagome and Inuyasha were still ridged and they looked back down at each other again, before looking back at the people.

Kagome got that uneasy feeling and gripping Inuyasha's wrist and began to back away.

"W-why are they starring at us like that?" whispered Kagome, keeping a sharp eyes on the crowd. The two began to walk down the sidewalk backwards, disrupting anyone in their way –who was walking the right way. No matter how many steps Kagome and Inuyasha took, the crowed would cover the distance more and more.

Inuyasha's hand brushed Kagome's as he answered her question.

"I… Think we're about to have our five minuets of fame…"

"L-l-like when?" Kagome stuttered.

"Like NOW, RUN!" Inuyasha ordered, grabbing Kagome by the hand and sprinted down the street. The crowed gasped and took flight as well, screaming and pointing at the couple as they fallowed.

Inuyasha and Kagome weaved between stray people as they attempted to lose the mob. But the more people they passed the bigger the screaming crowed got. Inuyasha was well ahead of Kagome, but he began to feel a grinding pain in his hip bone. His pase began to slow, and his stride went from wide and fast to limp and pained. It wasn't long until Kagome caught up to him.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Kagome asked/screamed as she ran along side the limping hanyou.

Inuyasha let a beat pass, taking in a few breaths in order to force down the pain. "I'm fine!"

Kagome frowned but looked ahead anyways. Lucky for them, they were almost at their street. Kagome bit her lip, thinking of how to get to their house without the mob fallowing. She looked behind her and saw the mob slowing down. Kagome smiled evilly and looked up at Inuyasha.

"Speed up!" Kagome ordered to him. He looked over at her.

"WHAT?"

"Go faster! We're almost there!" Inuyasha nodded once and sped up, pushing his limits to the max, as did Kagome. They sped up, leaving the dying mob in the dust. Kagome looked over her shoulder and saw the people huffing and puffing and shrinking into the distance. She chuckled to herself and looked ahead of herself just in time to turn into their apartment parking lot.


	9. Chapter 9 Tickets to Disaster

Chapter 9: Tickets… to Disaster.

They sprinted up the stairs, taking strides so long; they skipped two steps with each stride. They ran down the hall, opened their room door, slammed it shut, locked it with every locking device known to man, and collapsed on the floor.

They laid on their backs, huffing and puffing for the air to return to them. Side by side, they laid on the cold floor of the their kitchen slash entry way, just starring at their water stained ceiling.

"That…was…gay," Inuyasha huffed. Kagome just nodded.

"I'm never going out into public…AGAIN!" He continued.

"Can we get house?" Kagome asked, out of the blue.

Inuyasha breathing paused for an instant, before he lifted his top half off of the ground with his elbows and starred at her.

"Pardon?" he asked.

"A house. Can we get one?" Kagome asked again. Inuyasha took a seconded to think about her request.

"W-well…that depends," he finally said.

"On what?" Kagome asked, cocking her head at him.

"Well, uh…price is one thing…where the location is, how good the house is, the inco---"

Kagome interrupted, as she shot up and walked to the kitchen table.

"GOOD! 'Cause before our little 'accident'," she picked up a folded newspaper and tossed it onto Inuyasha's lap. "I found the PERFECT house for sale."

Inuyasha looked at the folded up new paper and saw a huge house circled in red with a big BUY IT across the picture. Inuyasha looked at the house—it was truly beautiful. He saw it had a good location, fair nationhood—it all looked so promising…until he got to the price.

"1 MILLION DOLLORS?" Kagome cringed.

"Uh…yeah. Not bad for a castle slash mansion slash house lookin' thing!"

"What do we need a castle slash mansion slash house for! There are only two of us!" Inuyasha protested, getting up off the floor.

"For KIDS!" Kagome said, exasperated. Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat, the blood rushed to his cheeks, and the paper fell from his hands.

"For Rin's kids! He-lo!" Kagome added quickly, saving the situation. Inuyasha let out a breath and let his shoulders fall.

"Phew! For a minuet there…I thought you weren't telling me something."

"Yeah, actually, I got you drunk one night and took advantage of you."

"WHAT?"

Kagome broke down while yelling, "Just kidding, just kidding!" Inuyasha glared at her and shook his head. Kagome took in a breath before her laughing secede.

"No, no kids for me thank you. I'm the kind that spoils other people's kids. Not my own." Inuyasha nodded as he bent down and grabbed the paper.

"Yeah me too."

"Do not!" Kagome protested. "You hate kids!"

"I do not!" Inuyasha snapped, walking up to her and placing the paper on the table. " I just don't prefer hanging around them."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "Uh…hu. Yeah what ever."

"It's true!" Inuyasha shot back. Kagome just shook her head and began to walk away.

The fallowing day, Sesshoumaru, Rin, Sango and Miroku came over to the apartment to have dinner. Kagome had baked quite a bit because she wanted to thank her friends for being at the hospital every day….3 hours a day… for 13 days…a piece.

"REALY, kagome. It's OKAY! That's what friends are supposed to do," Sango said as she watched her friend pull out what looked like ten courses of food for the 6 of them to eat.

"I know but still, I want to do this."

"Uh…maybe you should sit down, Kags. Your right leg is starting to look a little…odd." Rin said, eyeing Kagome's knee with a sick look in he eyes. A metal bar sticking held her leg together straight threw it, and it didn't look all that appetizing. And it didn't help the fact that around the joint, the skin was beginning to look a little greenish purplish.

Kagome looked at her leg than shrugged. "I honestly can't feel a thing, believe it or not."

"Yeah, you should put that on Reply's Believe it or Not," Miroku snorted before he took a drink of his soda.

"Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean it can't be a bad thing," Sesshoumaru inquired in his 'doctor' tone.

"Well…I'm sitting down, anyways." She said as she took her seat next to Inuyasha. There was a silence between the gang of friends for a few moments; enough for the second hand to make at least two rounds around the clock's face, before Sesshoumaru broke the silence by clearing his throat.

"Well, um…after watching you two pull threw this catastrophe with greater grace than any of us could have expected, Rin and I dropped by the Metro and got you two these."

Sesshoumaru dug a hand inside his brown trench coat and pulled out an unwrinkled envelope with two yellow strips of paper sticking out. Kagome gasped and sat up right in her chair, reaching for the long white package.

"Are these…" Kagome was cut off by her own stunned-ness, so Sesshoumaru finished for her.

"Tickets to the performance of Wicked? Yes, they are. Sango and Miroku got their two in the mail yesterday, so we can all go together as a family! Kind of." Kagome felt herself go numb as she gently took the envelope from him and starred at the tickets in aw. Inuyasha did the same, practically drooling over her shoulder as he starred at them.

"Are you serious, bro?" asked Inuyasha, quaking pleasure dripping off every word.

"Absolutely," Sesshoumaru stated with a smile and a brief nod. Inuyasha could only let out a few loud breaths and go wide-eyed. Same as Kagome, who's hands shook with delight. Oh, how they've dreamed of just looking at a Wicked poster and possibly stealing it and posting it in their room, but now…they actually get to see it!

Kagome could no longer hold back her excitement. Without warning to neither Rin nor Sesshoumaru (who was picking up a glass of water to drink) Kagome launched herself on him, and tightly latched her arms around his masculine neck. Sesshoumaru gasped and juggled the full glass of water in his hands, catching it just barely before it spilled all over them.

"OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" she cried, her smile stretching from one side of her skull to the next. Her cheeks were starting to hurt, but she didn't care. She got to go see Wicked! And there was nothing else in the world that mattered…except for the bathroom.

"Uh oh…be right back! Gotta go piddle!" Kagome said, ripping herself away from Sesshoumaru- bumping his glass yet again- and then zipping into the bathroom around the corner. Rin, Sango and Miroku laughed in unison. Both at how stunned, frozen, and wide-eyed Sesshoumaru was, and how quickly Kagome switched emotional gears on everyone. Inuyasha just looked at the bathroom door, which was closed, and Sesshoumaru, than gave few shakes of the head before rising from the table to get himself a glass of greatly craved Dr. Pepper.

Sango finished her chuckling than turned to Sesshoumaru and asked, "So when is the big day?"

"Next Thursday. That should give the two 'survivors' a chance to recoup and get settled back into their normal beds before then."

"That's good to hear!" shouted Inuyasha from around the fridge door. "The last thing I want is to fall asleep during a big event like this."

"Same here!" said Kagome, who walked out of the bathroom, the loud "K-CHHHHH" of the toilet humming behind her.

"Feel better?" asked Sango, raising an eyebrow to her friend.

"Loads," Kagome replied with her chest puffy and her hand on her hips. This, of course, gained another unison laugh from the friends.

That night, Kagome found it unusually difficult to sleep. This was what she wanted, right? To be home at last, surrounded by her familiar pink pillowcases and Down comforter and many assorted stuffed animals. Her favorite one – a large yellow, floppy eared rabbit that was half the size of her, lay tucked under her arm, the blankets pulled up to it's cute little chin.

Kagome lay on her side, starring out the open window as the wind played with her white drapes. The way they lifted off the floor and stretched for her reminded her of arms waiting to hug her. Kagome could see the moon just outside- cresset, but still as bright as ever- and the stars winking behind it's luminous light. Kagome blinked, than a second later, threw the covers off her body. She slid off he rather huge bed, and glided over to the open and wafting arms of the drapes. Her form was suddenly hidden, as the drapes welcomed her by wrapping her into them. Kagome stood starring out the window, her loose hair flowing off her shoulders with the cool breeze. Her eyes caught the orb of the moon, and the blues of her eyes suddenly were a glow with a pail glass.

_Why can't I sleep? _She asked herself as she gazed down into the street below. _I have everything I had wanted and yet…it still feels like something's missing. _Than, without warning, a flash crossed her mind. She blinked and took a step away from the window seal, eyes suddenly wider than before. She took a moment to assess the figure that suddenly decided to show itself, and her mind only drew one conclusion. Inuyasha.

_Oh, of course! _Said Kagome, putting fist to her chin. _After being in that Hospital for a little more than a week, my subconscious is used to having someone next to me! And who better to do that than Inuyasha! _Kagome nodded once to herself, than in one motion, grabbed her large bunny, grabbed her door handle, and left her room. She peeked out of the hall way corner, into the entry way-slash-kitchen to see that the only light given was that of the stove clock that read 2:00.

She blinked a frown when she noticed the time, but then pushed that aside and tip-toed-slash sprinted for Inuyasha's room across the hall. She tapped ever so lightly on the door, hopping that Inuyasha's acute ears would pick up the almost incoherent sound. A few moment of silence passed. Okay so maybe it was too quiet.

Well, unwilling to knock again, Kagome gripped the cold door handle and gave the door a slight bump with the hip. The door opened wide faster than she had expected, and the hinges gave a displeased squeak. Kagome caught her breath in her throat than drew the door closed until there was nothing but a sliver of a crack for her to peek threw. Her eyes fought threw the darkness, and adjusted on a figure sprawled on the left side of the bed. Kagome waited a moment for any signs of movement, just in case that little squeak woke him up, than decided it was safe. She opened the door more smoothly this time, the dull light from the clock in the kitchen shedding little light to path her way. Oh well, she studied the room for a few seconds, mapping out the way to the bed in her mind, than slowly closed the door behind her.

It was dark again. More dark than before, but after letting her eyes adjust again, she used her photographic memory of his room and found her way to Inuyasha's side of the bed.

Kagome stood in front of him like a little girl- stuffed animal held up close to her face, and a nail jammed nervously in her mouth as she chewed away at it. She took a moment to look at his face, working out what and how she'd ask Inuyasha if she could sleep with him without it sounding perverted.

"Um…Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered. Inuyasha didn't flinch. Kagome bit her lip, than tried again, only this time louder.

"Inuyasha?"

Still nothing but a slight snore. Okay, maybe bending down will help. "Inuyasha?"

Nope.

All right, maybe a combination of both?

"INUYASHA!" Kagome whispered loudly, while bent down to his level. Inuyasha shot up right, eyes wide for a moment before growing heavy again.

"Wha-wha-what?" Inuyasha mumbled, shielding his eyes with his hands, even though there was no manner of light in the room. Kagome chuckled, but did well to hide it behind the head of her rabbit.

"S-sorry to wake you but um…"she paused, looking away for an instant. _Ohhh Jeeze, how am I gonna put this lightly? _

"Can I uh…sleep…with…you…maybe…?" _Oi, I blew it. Oh please be too tired to catch it the wrong way. Please be too tired to catch it the wrong way…_

Inuyasha kind of gave her that blank 'say what?' frown, before looking at his bed than back up at her. Her eyes were full of hopping- hopping he'd say yes so she could get some much-disserved sleep.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, sure. Hop in," Inuyasha finally said, shifting under his sheets as he tried to throw a good half of the blankets over on her side. Kagome gave a silent squeal and a skip before she ran over to the other side of the bed and crawled in just like a little girl. Inuyasha dug a pillow out from under his head and placed it right before Kagome plopped her head down. Her body instantly gave a shake as she felt the heat from the blankets cover her body. She never before understood how Inuyasha cold- even in the dead of winter- sleep with nothing but a gray sheet and a few pillows, but now she understood. The middle was always warm and cozy, while near the feet it was a perfect temperature of cold. The sheets were easy to toss and turn in, and you never get your legs all tangled up!

_Okay, form now on, I'M sleeping with jus a sheet and few four pillows. _Thought Kagome as she nestled into the surprising warmth. After a few minuets of laying on her back, she tossed over onto her right. After a few moments of that, she tossed over onto her left. And after a few moments of that, she rolled onto her stomach. And after a few moments of that, she rolled back onto her right. Inuyasha was getting some sound sleep there for a while…until the tossing and turning started up.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked, as Kagome tossed onto her left.

"No. I… can't seem…to get comfortable…" she tossed back over onto her stomach, face flat down into the pillow. Inuyasha grumbled to himself before he scooted closer to her. Kagome was now on her right, her back to Inuyasha as she grumbled to her self about her predicament. Until she suddenly felt an arm around her waist. She gasped and when ridged, and she dared not look over her shoulder.

"Uhhh…Inuyasha?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Hm?"

Kagome bit back a quake of embarrassment. "What are you doing?"

"Holding you," He replied bluntly. Hearing that just made a tighter knot form in her gut.

"W-why?" she asked, swallowing a lump.

"Hey, it got you to stop moving, didn't it?"

Kagome was about to reply when she realized that he was right. She found herself unusually comfortable and…unmoving!

Inuyasha smiled to himself when he felt Kagome's muscles relax under his handsome arms, and her delicate hand found it's way into his. Kagome nestled in closer to him, seeking his warmth and even more…his comfort.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she replied, as she at last felt the sleep reach her eyelids. She was amazed but grateful it came to her so quickly.

Inuyasha blew out his nose, his warm breath tickling the fine hairs in the back of her neck.

"You're welcome…Kagome."

Sleep found them both, and within moments, they felt as if nothing had changed between them. That the accident never happened, that the pain was never there. It was just them and their sleep.

OH! And the happy little yellow, floppy eared bunny squeezed between them.


	10. Chapter 10 Finding that Perfect Dress

**Chapter 11: Finding that perfect dress.**

Just to let everyone know—this story isn't even close to being done! Still a hell of a lot more chapters to go! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ahem. Anyway. Back to the story.

The week seemed to run by Inuyasha and Kagome like a leaf caught in a windstorm. Before they even knew it, the day had come, and they soon found that it was going to be a VERY eventful day.

Well, for starters, Kagome had gotten so used to sleeping in Inuyasha's bed, that she hardly slept alone, and Inuyasha had gotten so used to her presence, that he didn't mind the extra company. So, threw the whole week, Inuyasha and Kagome had been sleeping together. They thought that that little secrete-though nothing ever happened- wouldn't reach the ears of their friends. But little did they know that slick figures Sango had gotten a hold of Kagome's spare keys, and on the day of the play, she decided that Rin Kagome and herself, should go out shopping.

Sango and Rin wanted to surprise her, which was why Sango had taken the liberty of slipping the spare key out form under Kagome's nose, but when they snickered and snuck their way to Kagome's bed room, they were stunned to see that no one was in it. Afraid that something bad must have happened, they sprinted over to Inuyasha's room.

Not…a good…idea.

They walked in, intent on shouting to the top of their lungs that Kagome had suddenly gone missing, when their words were cut off completely. There…in the middle of the bed, lay Kagome tucked in between Inuyasha's arms that were tightly woven around her middle. From the looks of it, Kagome appeared to be warring no shirt, and Sango could only guess what was missing below the covers. Rin had turned five shades of red, but not out of embarrassment. To her, this was a big 'been there- done that' deal. No. She was turning five shades of red because she was trying so hard NOT to burst into tears at the sight before her. Sango, unfortunately, knew where Kagome kept her camera, and stalked off to find it. Rin was left to keep watch, and when Sango returned, she had Kagome's digital camera in her hand.

Sango held it up and let her finger hover over the button.

"Say…cheese," she whispered, before pressing a button. The camera flashed and suddenly…the couple began to stir. Rin gasped and Sango cursed as they took turns shoving each other out the door and out of sight.

Kagome drew a hand to her eyes, shading them from the fresh sun that burned threw un-drawn curtains at Inuyasha's window. Inuyasha grumbled when he felt her stir, then tossed over onto his other side when he felt her rise from the bed. Kagome was not shirtless, but wearing a tank top with floppy sleeves that every so often would droop off her shoulders. Inuyasha was shirtless, be he always slept with no shirt on. As for pants, they were on as well.

"Well, today's the big day, Inuyasha, Kagome said after she gave a yawn. Inuyasha just mumbled in response. Kagome smiled and glanced over her shoulder at him.

"You want breakfast?" she asked sweetly.

There was a pause, before Inuyasha replied, "Mmmm….sure." Kagome nodded then lifted herself off the bed.

She closed the door as calmly and as quietly as she could, as to not awaken Inuyasha from his sleep, than, she zombie-ed her way into the small kitchen and began rummaging threw the cabinets for some skillets.

"It's about time you woke up," came voice from nowhere. Kagome screamed and jumped loosing her grip on a panhandle and cringed as she watched tumble to the floor. After the killer pan stopped flipping about on the floor, Kagome glared at nothing than peeked her head around the corner of the r kitchen. She saw Sango and Rin perched ever so happily on the two couches that sat in the living room. Both sat tall and both had proud faces.

"What are you doing here? Better yet—HOW?"

Sango tapped her slender fingers on the arm of the couch and said, "Your door was unlocked so we just came in."

Kagome paused, fear suddenly struck her face. What if they saw her and Inuyasha? They would so get the wrong idea!

"You…you didn't…see anything… did you?" she asked, waving a pointed finger at them.

Sango cocked her head and gave an innocent look. "See what? We just got here." Rin could only congratulate Sango on how well she acted as if nothing really happened. Maybe she should try out for Broadway, hm? At that thought, a smile screeched across Rin's face, and Rin suddenly thought that she might have blown her cover. To save her and Sango's' butts, she pretended like she had an itch on her nose and drew a hand up to cover her smile.

"Sorry," Rin sniffed. "Allergies."

Kagome just nodded sleepily, and blew off the whole situation.

"You guys want to stay for breakfast?" Kagome asked, bending down and picking up the fallen pan.

"Actually, we were hopping to take YOU out, Kagome," Rin replied, rising off the couch. Kagome looked up at her from her ducked position by the dishwasher. "We were kind of planning on this being a girl's day out, you know? To have fun. And… maybe go shopping for a gown for the play tonight."

Kagome was about to reply when Sango cut her off.

"Oh, and don't worry about Inuyasha. Miroku and Sesshoumaru should be here in another hour to take Inuyasha out on a guy's thing."

Kagome's mouth slammed shut.

"How do you always know what I'm about to ask?" Kagome asked.

Sango shrugged." I have telepathy."

"Don't you mean telekinesis?" Rin corrected.

"Jeeze, I don't know! I can read your mind! There! Is that better?"

"Sure," Rin said threw a chuckle.

"What? What?" Sango repeated. Rin just shook her head and covered her mouth again.

"Nothing, nothing. Oh look! Itchy nose again, Ah, ha, ha, ha!"

"RIIIIIIIIIN!"

So, skipping ahead to the mall, Sango, Rin and Kagome passed ever so casually down the Closter phobic maze of fancy dresses in Herberger's, glancing and fingering the assorted fabrics every once in awhile, but nothing truly caught their eyes.

Kagome kind of split from her two friends, and walked down an isle of different shades of red dresses. Kagome glanced at a sleeveless dress, but blew it off. Then, threw the corner of her eyes, the most brilliant glitter of blue caught her gaze. Kagome pivoted on her heel and switched directions, and was suddenly frozen in time. The dress was perched on those plastic models, and was a deep sapphire, with slits that led up to the middle of the thigh, and it was rained on with bright tinsel. A see threw blue shall hung off the open gap in the back. The model even came with a pair of long white gloves, a pearl necklace and earrings. The site took her breath away. She KNEW that this was the dress.

"Sango! Rin! Come here, quick!" She called over her shoulder, unwilling to peel her eyes off the magnificent dress. The two girls came bounding out of nowhere to aid Kagome's call. Once the dress was in their line of view, they both stopped sharp, and their eyes widened.

"Is that it?" Rin said, after swallowing hard.

Kagome couldn't talk. She was so stunned; all she could even attempt to do was weakly nod her head. Sango shrugged than glanced over her shoulder at Rin.

"Whip out the check book, Rin. 'Cuase it look's like we aren't leaving this store without that dress."

Rin glanced over at her…and smiled.

It had been a good 4 hours before the girls decided it was time to eat, even though it was well past lunchtime. They figured it would be in their best interest to eat late anyway, because they wouldn't be tempted to buy something fattening at the theatre come that time. They say at small table in the middle of Café Court, each eating different meals; Subway for Sango (watching her figure), pizza and pickles for Rin (strange cravings for pregnancy), and Kagome had Chinese and a dr. Pepper (just because she wanted some). Rin and Sango had been jabbering on about some topic on shoes and ear rings, but Kagome seemed to be dazed in her own thoughts, gently sipping away at her drink.

_I guess I never realized how depended I really am towards Inuyasha…_She thought, as her mind replied images of her cuddled close to Inuyasha in bed and how…perfect it seemed. _That night that I asked if I could sleep next to him, I was expecting it to be uncomfortable between us but…for some strange reason, even when he held me like that… it felt right._ _But why? _

Kagome rested her chin in her hands, and watched as the people passed by, some linked to other people, some running, some strolling with kids and some strolling with babies.

_I wonder if Inuyasha feels the same way I do right now. No. He's a guy! He wouldn't notice…would he? _

"Kagome!" shouted Sango. Kagome gasped and blinked, sitting up straight and glancing around at her friends.

"Hu?" she mumbled.

"You've been starring off into space for the last 10 minuets. What's wrong?" Rin asked, leaning an elbow on the table.

Kagome stuttered, "N-nothing…"

"Oh please, when a girl's off in La-la-land for 10 minuets, there's DEFFINENTALLY something on her mind." Sango said, slapping her hand down on the table. "Now fess up! Who's on your mind?"

Kagome didn't know what to say; her mouth flapped, but no words came out. That's when Sango let out a breath.

"No way!"

Kagome began to panic. Had she read her thoughts? Her feelings? Her heart?

"What?"

"You're thinking of Inuyasha, aren't you?" Sango replied, eyeing Kagome suspiciously.

Damn, she's right. "No! O-of course not! Why would I be thinking about Inuyasha?" Kagome rolled her eyes and bowed her face slightly, in hopes of hiding her red cheeks. She switched positions in her chair, crossing her legs, than took a big gulp of her pop like it was beer.

Sango laughed and rolled her eyes, than caught the attention of three familiar looking people waving to them over the crowed.

"Hey, hey! Speak of the Devil. Look who's here Kagome."

Kagome gasped and turned around in her chair, nearly knocking heads with Inuyasha who was in the process of bending down to greet her.

"Ow! Hey, Kagome, watch it!" Inuyasha protested, rearing up and rubbing his forehead.

"Oh, geeze, I'm sorry!" Kagome said, putting a hand over her mouth and reaching a hand out to him. Rin laughed then stood up and gently gave her smiling husband a kiss.

"Didn't expect to see you three here," Sango said, as Miroku pulled up an empty chair and sat next to her.

"Yeah well, Inuyasha here was in desperate need of a new Tux. Have you seen his old one?" Sesshoumaru asked. Kagome chuckled and looked up at Inuyasha, who looked away in embarrassment.

"That bad, huh?"

"Not only was it bad, but it was out of date! Who wears a white tux to a formal, anyway?" Miroku added in. Kagome raised an eyebrow than looked up at Inuyasha.

"A white tux? Is that why you never when to school dances?"

Inuyasha scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. "No! I just don't like dances."

Kagome chuckled and turned away. "Yeah sure."

"It's true! Besides. I don't see YOU with anything fancy!"

Rin gave him a look than replied. "Oh, believe me. Once tonight rolls around, you'll be left speechless at her beauty."

Inuyasha eyes lit up. "Really? Hey Kagome can I see it?"

He bent down to her level and whispered that into her ear. She scoffed and shouldered his head away. "No! You're just gonna have to suffer until 7:00 to night."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow when he heard a tint of pleasure in her tone.

"Oh, come on, Kagome! Please? "

"Nope, nope, nope, nope!" She sang, closing her eyes to avoid his rather adorable puppy eyes and turning away in her chair.

"Please? Please, please, please, please?"

"No! Just be patient, Inuyasha! The time will come!"

"Yeah," Rin said. "It's only…. 5:00." Rin's eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh shit, it's 5:00! We only have an hour to get home and get ready!" Suddenly, the whole group was up from the table and sprinting out the doors of the mall, shoving people as they went.


	11. Chapter 11 The Abe Lincoln effect

**The Abe Lincoln Effect**

The theatre parking lot was packed, and people were filing into the four large entryways. Kagome had arrived in a limo especially ordered by Sesshoumaru to escort her and the girl to the theater, just to help add the feeling of being pampered. The limo pulled into the front, where torrents of stairs lead up to the entryways. Kagome starred in aw at the theatre that towered over them threw her dark window, and how expensive it all looked. She could see people dressed in fur coats and fancy tuxes and hats emerging from carriages and other limos, and Kagome felt a little out of place.

Kagome blinked when she saw a man suddenly stand by the door and leaned away when he opened it. She felt a little dumb when she realized it was the limo driver.

"Shall we?" asked Rin, clenching her white fur coat to her body and smiling. Sango nodded, equally pulling on a dark brown fur coat. Kagome just eased a smile, and pulled on a rather warn down trench coat. Rin and Sango looked at her coat, but smiled and hopped out of the Car. All three coats did well to cover their whole bodies; the only things that the public and the cold could view were their hair, face and high-heals.

Kagome was fascinated by the sights and sound of the theatre-how large and eloquent it looked. The sculptures of past performances etched into the pearl pillars near the entryway. Grand lights buzzed above them, bright enough for the whole town to see, advertising the play's name. Kagome was so lost in the architecture, that she didn't notice the weird look people were shooting at her coat, and how people backed away when she entered the main hall.

Inside was more grand then the outside. Two rows of stars-one on each side of the room- twisted up the walls until them met in the form of a balcony above the crowed. A magnificent and jeweled chandelier hung above them-the reflections of the crystals dancing on the tan walls. A giant red and gold rug lay in the middle of it all, with two white masks with a blue ribbon running threw them stitched into the fabric. It was truly beautiful place, and Kagome was found breathless.

Suddenly, Kagome felt an arm hook around hers, and she averted her gaze from a sculpture to see Sango.

"Come on! Let's go put our coats up and go find our seats!" Kagome smiled and nodded than allowed Sango to drag her threw the crowed.

"Come on, we'll be late!" Hollered Miroku, as he jumped out of the limo and waited for Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. Miroku pulled off the casual- black tux and tie and a leather jacket and a cane. Sesshoumaru emerged looked very high dollar in his black tux and red bow tie. His hair pulled back into a ponytail and his shoes polished beyond blinding. He took in a deep breath than looked behind him, into the car.

"Are you coming, Inuyasha?"

"Y-yeah…but…do I have to wear it? It hurts my ears. "

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and looked away, obviously haven heard that said one too many times that evening.

Miroku ducked into the car and replied, "Yes. You have to wear it. For Kagome!"

There was silence and then a mellow. "Alright. But don't laugh."

Miroku smiled and stood up straight. "We won't, we promise."

"Alright," Inuyasha said, before emerging from the limo. His face was hidden for a moment by a hot that he wore to the side of his head, and his hair was pulled back into a braid and reached down to his lower back. He had a formal tux jacket hung over his shoulders, and a cane in his hand. Even to Sesshoumaru and Miroku, Inuyasha looked stunning.

Miroku blinked and shook his head. "You make I guy want to go gay in that outfit, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha glared at him than pocked him in the gut with his cane. "Never again, Miroku. Never again."

"Hey, I was trying to give you a complement!"

"Being hit on by your best friend isn't exactly a welcomed comment, Miroku," Inuyasha retorted as they made their way up the stairs.

"I wasn't hitting on you, sick-o. I was aiming for more of a…funny yet…flattering comment, you know?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Miroku," Sesshoumaru replied.

"Now don't start THAT again!" Miroku hollered.

They entered and were also taken away by the beauty of the theatre, and Inuyasha's eyes wandered around the room like a child in a candy store…until something caught his gaze. Something standing on the balcony, leaning over ever so slightly. Her beauty was un-compared, and her gaze was strong and wild. Her gown fit her form in every way-blue that winked with each move she made and fair white gloves that ran up her arms. Her slender neck was made even more apparent by the crystal necklace, so fragile and slim, hanging over her collarbone and bringing out the fair pail skin around it. Her raven blue hair was up tight in a bun, with two bouncy curls around her face, and large hoop earrings that faltered her slim and milky face and full, rose lips. Her eyes were large and innocent, a dark brown that reflected any form of light that hit them, and for a moment, those eyes seemed to avoid his distant gaze.

Her eyes scanned the room, watching the bodies buzz below her, until a figure caught her eyes. He stood alone. Alone but starring right at her. For a moment, her heart seemed to stop, and her brown eyes met his. He looked so small, but he stood out amongst the crowed like black stallion mixed within a herd of white ponies. His hat shadowed his face, but his ember eyes glowed all the same, and his silver braid lay over one shoulder, catching the gleam of the chandeliered like a beacon. He was radiant, and graceful, even thought he was just standing. He held himself proud, and yet in his eyes, he looked less than confidant.

He could smell her sweet aroma of honey and roses, and before he knew it, his legs were leading him up the left torrent of stairs. She watched wide-eyed as he got close and closer to her, and yet she also couldn't stop herself from walking towards him. They met at the top, him just two steps away from a kiss, he was so close. She swallowed. He swallowed.

"Hello, Kagome," he said threw a breath.

"Hello, Inuyasha," she replied. They stood there, unwilling to mover, and unwilling to blink. They stood high above the rest, and didn't notice the piercing gaze of some of the people below them. It was just them. Her and her beauty. Him and his radiance.

"W-well um…are you ready?" she asked tapping her hands on her hips nervously, trying to hide her apprehension. He was so overpowering and yet welcoming right now. She could feel her heart beat in her head, she was so nervous.

"Uh, yeah! Yeah, I am." He said, trying to hide his aw struck look by looking away and scratching the back of his neck.

They both didn't expect each other to look so…tempting, and it was hard to treat this moment right without showing their interest towards each other. They both didn't look at each other for a good minuet or so, before someone in the crowed caught Inuyasha's eyes. It was Sesshoumaru and Miroku, looking up at him with such pleasure that Inuyasha blushed. They did this on purpose! Made him look hot! This was all planned! No way would he let them win!

Kagome looked down, scratching her arms until she caught the eyes of Sango and Rin, giving her big thumbs up. Kagome gasped and drew a hand up to her mouth, than glared. They set her up! They made her look sexy just so Inuyasha would like her 'that way'. Well, it wasn't going to work! She was determined to prove she wasn't so easily impressed.

At the same time, Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other with stern faces, both angry and both coated with competition.

"Shall we?" Inuyasha asked a loud, sticking his arm out to escort her.

"I'd be delighted to." Kagome replied, her deterministic tone showing like a pimple on her face. She shoved her arm around his, and they waltzed down the stared together, ignoring the intrigued gazes of strangers as they made their way to their friends.

As if going shopping for million dolor outfits, being treated like royalty, and being escorted to the theatre in a limo wasn't enough, now they get to watch the performance in the box seats-the best seats in the house. Each pair had their own box-Inuyasha and Kagome were above the box where Sango and Miroku were, and Sesshoumaru and Rin sat clear across the theatre house, directly across from Inuyasha and Kagome's seats.

Inside the room, there was a single red wood table with large, cushioned seats at each end, and one large candle in the middle of the table. Roses hung from the walls just inside the balcony, and red curtains were drawn back to allow a full view of the stage below them. The room was beautiful, and Inuyasha and Kagome stammered into the room like aw struck zombies. Their butler slash escort ignored their pathetic exposure of lower-class- seeing-higher-class and shit the door to the room behind him, leaving the two alone.

"Oh.. my..GOD!" Kagome said, a small breath escaping her mouth. "It's beautiful!"

"I know!" Inuyasha managed to get out. He let his jaw remain open as he looked all around the room. Kagome ran up to the balcony and looked out over the edge with a wide smile.

"I feel so rich!" She said as she leaned further out. Inuyasha walked up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I know it's hard, but try to keep your excitement from shoving yourself off the balcony, alright?" He used little of his strength to hoist Kagome into the air with his one arm, and drop her in her seat in one swift motion. She squealed in protest, than humphed when she landed in the chair. Inuyasha smiled at her, then sat at the opposite end.

She glared at him threw the singe flame of the candle, the heat waves making his face look like a reflection in steady water. Upon glaring at him deeper, she then realized his eyes. If she moved just right, his eyes looked exactly like that flame. He didn't seem to notice her sudden interest, and smiled at her evilly.

Kagome then realized his strong gaze and quickly looked away. This movement kind of sent Inuyasha for a whirl, but before he could question her actions, the room started to grow dark.

Suddenly, a loud voice came up over the intercom, taking the whole theatre by surprise.

"Welcome all, and thank you for coming to this year's production of "Wicked". We hope you'll enjoy this performance, and dinner will be served to you during intermission. And let us remind those of you with cell phones or pagers to please turn them off during the performance. Thank you all and now, without further ado, here's WICKED!"

Suddenly, wild music began to play, and a mechanical dragon that had gone un-noticed above the stage suddenly came alive with a growl and spew of fog from it's mouth. It's eyes glowed red, and it's head turned back and forth as if to make eye contact with everyone in the audience. Kagome and Inuyasha pushed their seats to balcony edge and watched in amazement as the magnificent play began.

**Skipping ahead towards intermission**

Kagome sat back in her chair as she finished the last bit of her spaghetti and her mind replayed images of the play. Inuyasha had long ago wafted his meal and was taking a sip of his white whine.

Kagome looked at him, seeing his reflection threw the crystal whine glass and smiled.

"Hey Inuyasha?" she asked.

"Hm?" he answered as he took a drink.

"How do you like it so far?"

Inuyasha put his glass down and licked his lips. "I think it's amazing. The special effects, the singing, the dancing. It's all very inspiring."

Kagome chuckled. "Was that a hint-hint to sign you up for singing and dancing lessons?"

Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head. "Oh God no. No manner of teaching could improve my singing and dancing." Kagome frowned and cocked her head. "What do you mean? You have beautiful voice."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her. "How do you know? I never sing."

"Yes you do! I hear you sing in the shower all the time. Don't think I can't hear that!"

Inuyasha suddenly turned red, and Kagome just had to congratulate herself on that.

"Ha, ha. 50 points for Higurashi!"

Inuyasha glared at her for the fifth time that night, and Inuyasha was about to retort to Kagome but was interrupted by their waiter…. once again.

"Can I offer you two a slice of our finest chocolate cheese cake?" The waiter had a platter in his hand and he tempted the two by taking it out from behind his back and kind of waving it in front of them.

"Uh…how much is it?" Inuyasha asked with hesitation, eyeing the waiter.

"It's on the house. Complements of a Mr. Macao." The waiter placed the cake in the middle of the table, even though they didn't say they wanted it and turned to leave.

"B-but…we don't know a Mr. Macao," Kagome said.

"Oh…well he clamed to know you quite well," replied the waiter, before he retreated out of site. Inuyasha and Kagome starred at the door for a while, and then slowly glanced back at each other.

"There's something…creepy about that guy, you know?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah. But hey! We got a free slice of cake!"

They both suddenly turned happy again as they grabbed their forks and began to demolish the cake. There was a lone cherry on the top, and they both spotted it at the same time, and both squired it with their forks at the same time. They looked up at each other with that competitive gleam in their eyes again, and Kagome got a slick smile across her lips.

"It looks like we're at an impasse. Oh what ever shall we do?" She asked sarcastically.

Inuyasha sneered also and replied. "I challenge you to a duel."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Very well. What will it be? Swords, fists, spoons?"

"Sexy."

Kagome frowned. "What?"

"To see who can be the sexiest."

Kagome smiled again, leaning back in her chair and laying her fork near her plate. "I accept." She said, extending her hand to shake his. He nodded once and drabbed her hand and gave it a single shake.

"Then let the games begin." He said.

Kagome smiled, but this time, it wasn't a sly smile. It was a tempting smile-lips large and red and eyes dark and gleaming. She gently picked up her fork than gently dipped it into the cake, taking in a perfect sized bite. Inuyasha watched her as she brought it up to her lips, the chocolate bringing out the red lipstick. She took a slow bite, sliding the fork from her mouth slowly. She chewed delicately, and fluttered her eyes, just to add the last touch on her attempt to be sexy. Inuyasha chuckled, knowing now it was his turn.

He let his hand fall to his wine glass, letting his handsome fingers trace the rim of the crystal glass. Kagome watched his hands as he dipped his fingers in the wine, than listened intently as he ran his fingers around the glass, making that harp of a whistle sound emerge. Than, he took the glass, and took a sip, catching a stray drop with the lip of the glass.

Kagome squinted as she smiled slyly. Now it was her turn. She took a rose from a near by wall, and began to play with it in her hands; tracing each petal with her delicate, slender fingers before brushing it below her lower lip. Inuyasha hated this because he knew that Kagome knew he loved it when women did that. It was just not fair. But he knew how to get her back. She tucked it into her hair, than gently laid her hands on the table, telling Inuyasha it was his turn.

Rin was getting board just sitting there, so she decided to check up on Inuyasha and Kagome. She bent under her chair and grabbed a small pair of binoculars, then looked up towards Kagome's box. What she saw…made her turn away for an instant. Kagome was teasing Inuyasha with a rose, and Inuyasha was teasing Kagome with a wine glass! What were they doing? Flirting?

"Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru look! Look at Kagome and Inuyasha, quick!" Rin said, slapping her husband on the arm. He grumbled than grabbed his binoculars and looked. He too nearly looked away tat the sight. His brother was wooing Kagome? What the hell was going on?

"What are they doing?" Rin asked, both appalled and appealed.

Sesshoumaru shook his head wanting to look away and yet…wouldn't. "I… Don't know…"

They continued to watch, both wanting to stop, but both to flabbergasted and tickled by what they saw.

Inuyasha snickered. He knew this would win the game for him. He reached forward a hand, as if to reach for Kagome, but stopped when his hand was near the candle.

Kagome's eyes went wide. "Oh, don't you dare…"

Inuyasha smiled, then, taking his other hand, he dripped a few drops of wine of his outstretched hand, letting it drip off his knuckles like blood.

"No…" Kagome gasped, gripping the arms of her chair as his hand drew closer and closer to the candle flame.

"No, no, no!" Kagome plead, but it was too late. Inuyasha had gone in for the kill by sticking his hand in the flame of the candle, making his tan skin sweat and the red wine drip off like blood. Kagome was writhing. He's…too…sexy!

"Gya! Fine, you win, you win, you win! Just take the damn cherry, already and stop!" Kagome gave in, shielding her eyes as she curled into a heap in her chair. Inuyasha smiled and took his hand out of the fire, giving it a shake as to relieve the wine from his skin, than he took the cherry and popped it into his mouth without hesitation.

Kagome watched as he ate it with deep hate in her eyes and she tapped her fingers on her arms as they sat crossed on her chest.

Then, Kagome thought of something. She unfolded herself from the chair and leaned into Inuyasha, who froze between a chew. She batted her eyes, made them wide and shinny with tears.

"Ohhh God…" Inuyasha said, trying to look away but couldn't.

"Please-e weezy will you buy me some cherwweis?" she said as she batted her eyes.

"No! The cuteness! It burns!" Inuyasha whined, turning his head up and clenching his eyes shut.

"Pweeeeaaassseee? Pwease-e weezy weezy?"

"Ah! All right, fine. After this I'll buy you a jar of cherries just…stop with a cuteness." He begged, letting his voice shake as if he were about to cry. Kagome laughed and slapped the arm of his chair.

"Ha! I win!" Inuyasha just glared at her, the stem of the cherry sticking out of his mouth.

Rin sighed, having seen the end of that rather weird competition, and placed the binoculars on her red-gowned lap, Sesshoumaru did the same. It was silent between them for a few beats, before Rin spoke out.

"Well…. I've just been insured a good lifetime of nightmares."

Sesshoumaru nodded, mouth a jar with stunned amazement. Nothing could have been said or done to erase the uneasy feeling they now would feel for a good week or so. They didn't know why it was so strange to see two best friends acting like they wanted something dark and physical to happen between them. After all, Rin and Sesshoumaru were high school sweet hearts and so were Miroku and Sango.

I guess it was just weird to see their little brother and practically little sister flirting with each other. Oh well.

Kagome laughed at Inuyasha's expense, slapping her knee and nearly flipping backwards out of her chair. How she loved revenge, and pay back is always a bitch. Sure, she didn't get a singe cherry, but God always says bad deeds will come back to those in the future 10 fold. So now, even though two seconds wasn't really the future, she now has not one…but ten cherries. Oh, how it was lovely!

But her joy would never last, never linger with her laugh as it echoed absently threw the theatre. For a figure, shadowed by the body of the door, entered without making a single sound. He stepped in, wearing black to blend into the dark that fogged around the door. His hand lay tucked under his shirt, but as he approached the two oblivious teens, he retracted his arm. His finger lay taught against the trigger of a handgun, and it flashed briefly when the candlelight reached it.

The figure stopped, still hiding in the shadows, but pointed the barrel of the gun towards the girl. He pulled back on the latch, clicking, and giving off his position. Kagome and Inuyasha gasped, whirling their heads around only to meet the eyes of the gun as it cracked threw the air.

Kagome stood up from her chair, but she knew too late that she had moved too slowly. She felt the iron bullet launch itself into her upper breast, the impact sending her to the floor.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha could barely breath. What was going on? One moment he was glaring at Kagome for winning an immature game and now, she was flat on the floor! Inuyasha ran around the table, and kneeled at her side.

"Kagome?" He whispered, cradling her tense body in his arms.

"I'm…I'm okay…. H-he missed it…my heart, he missed it…." Kagome said bravely, though the pain was apparent on her withered face. Inuyasha looked down at the hole in her dress; seeing that the blood was already soaking down her dark gown, leaving black all over her right side. Inuyasha was grateful that he missed her heart, but knew that she'd die of blood loss if they didn't get her to a hospital soon. Inuyasha growled, digging his nails into his clenched fists until they bled.

"You…bustard…" Inuyasha said as he shot up in a challenge to the attacker. All he could see in the darkness was his piercing red eyes and silver of the gun as he pointed it at Inuyasha.

Kagome knew what would happen, and she had to stop him. She saw Inuyasha begin to take a step forward, and she quickly gripped his ankle in her blood-coated hand.

"Inuyasha don't—" but it was too late. Inuyasha had peeled his eyes away to look down at her for just a second, but a second was all it took. The gun cracked threw the air, and Inuyasha felt the sting of the bullet enter the area right below his color bone. Inuyasha stumbled from the impact, and Kagome watched in horror as the impact from the bullet knocked Inuyasha off the balcony.

Inuyasha suddenly felt the floor leave his feet and he instinctively grabbed for something-anything to keep him from falling. His hand gripped the railing of a the balcony just in time before it was completely out of reach. He could the screams of the people below him as he dangled from the wall. People started running from all directions to get out, running over anyone who got in their way. Sesshoumaru and Rin shot up from their seats when they saw Inuyasha dangling by one had from the railing, and Sango and Miroku gasped when they saw a pair of legs kicking and wailing above their box.

Miroku was about to give Inuyasha a piece of his mid for being so reckless, when he saw blood dripping onto his box's railing.

Rin and Sesshoumaru shot up right, knocking their chairs back carelessly. They had heard the two gunshots and had seen Inuyasha take the plunge over the deck. And now they stood as stunned as could be, watching their brother and/or brother-in-law dangle for dear life over the edge.

Sesshoumaru knew Kagome was shot; he could smell her blood from where he stood. And he knew his brother was as well. He didn't waist time, as he grabbed his wife by the arm and ran out the doors to the other side. The hall s were full of screaming and running people, and Sesshoumaru and Rin had to keep a tight hand on each other or else they would be separated.

Inuyasha held on for dear life with both hands now, feeling his sweat y fingers slipping off the polished wood. Kagome, though threw much pain and concentration, stood up and grabbed a wrist her hands.

"Hold on, Inuyasha!" she begged and screamed, forcing what little strength she had left into her arms. Inuyasha felt his body start to go cold from the toes up, and his eyesight began to fade in and out. Kagome watched in horror as his fingers still slid from the wood. She knew that if he fell, she would not have the strength to hold him up, so she would either go down with him, or drop him. Being the loyal friend she was, she never let go, even when his fingers finally slipped from the wood.

Kagome clenched her eyes shut, preparing to feel her body go splat on the chairs below when she felt her body jerk forward. But then…before her waist was even past the rail…she stopped. She was hesitant to open her eyes-expecting to see herself floating threw the air before she met the floor but…all she saw was the opposite wall of the theatre-unmoving-revealing to herself that she had not gone flipping over the edge.

"I got him, Kagome!" she heard Miroku call. She gasped and looked down into the box below her, seeing Miroku with his arms wrapped tightly around Inuyasha's waist.

"Kagome, I'm coming! Just stay up there!" Sango screamed, before bolting out her box door.

"It's okay, Kagome. Let go. I've got him." Miroku said almost to himself. Kagome starred into his navy eyes for a moment, before gently letting Inuyasha's arm slide from her grasp. Miroku braced himself as the sudden weight was added to him, and he slowly stepped away from the rail, Inuyasha safely in his arms.

Four guards suddenly burst threw the door of the box and came to a halt around Miroku, as he began to lay Inuyasha on the floor.

"Oh God…Oh God, oh God, oh God…." Miroku said between breaths, as he began to shove off his black top, wading it up into a ball, then pressed it against the gaping wound in Inuyasha's lower neck.

Inuyasha was coughing and gagging; blood beginning to drip from his mouth. Inuyasha squinted as even the least bit of light hurt his eyes, and his nails dug into the wood floors, creating a sick hiss as they left white marks on the polish.

A guard whipped out a walkie-talkie and began to speak.

"_Chh-_ We have two gun shot victims near boxes A and B. Call for 911 immediately. Over- _Chh."_

Miroku's eyes shifted back and fourth between Inuyasha's face, and the wound that was beginning to bleed threw the cloth.

Sesshoumaru screeched to a halt in front of the door, grabbing hold of the opining to stop from sliding. He saw Inuyasha threw the bodies blocking the way and ran inside. Two large arms suddenly crossed in front of him, catching him by the upper chest abruptly.

"What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru snapped.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but you can't enter here…" said one.

"yes I am. I'm family. I'm his brother, now let me through!" Sesshoumaru pressed on their arms downward, forcing them to part and he sprang forward up to Miroku. How rude of the guards! It was almost like they've never met him before, or something!

"I'm going up to check on Kagome!" Said Rin as she bolted past the door. Sesshoumaru didn't reply, but felt to his knees on the other side of Inuyasha.

"What happened?" demanded Sesshoumaru.

Miroku's voice staggered. "I-I don't know! All I heard was a loud boom and suddenly Inuyasha was hanging from the ceiling!"

Inuyasha coughed, blood dripping in pools from the corner of his mouth. Sesshoumaru took off his coat and placed over Miroku's and they both pressed. Sesshoumaru fumbled for Inuyasha's hand, unwilling to look for it because his eyes were locked on his brother. He found it and gripped it hard, squeezing it as if to prevent his brother's life from slipping away.

"Hold on, man. Just hold on…" Sesshoumaru begged. Inuyasha turned his head over to his brother. His eyes shallow and dull. He was fading fast. And help wasn't coming as fast as they would have hoped.

Sesshoumaru bowed his head, his body shacking as he tried to force back his fear. Than he heard a scream. His wife. His head shot up and he was wide eyed again.

Miroku shot up and spirited to the balcony railing, slamming hard into it and looking up.

"Rin! Rin, what's wrong?" He shouted.

Rin's head suddenly pocket over the above edge. "Kagome! There's blood everywhere and she won't wake up!"

Miroku's eyes widened. He didn't know Kagome was shot as well! Miroku felt his heart fall. It was as if everything around him was death, and his two best friends were the culprits. He bowed his head, slapping the railing with his palm as he forced back every emotion that was creaming at him. Why? They just got free of death not two weeks ago. Why again? Just how many ladders and mirror's do you have to break to meet death twice in one month?

His arms shook now, him feelings starting to fight the hold on them. Suddenly, Miroku could hold it in no longer. He felt just one tear fall off his chin and he collapsed to his knees, his arms still grasping the rail, trying to prevent his weary body from falling completely over.

The scene in both boxes were chaotic. Rin and Sango in tears as they watched the paramedics arrive and take her from their sight on a stretcher. Miroku gripping sanity and Sesshoumaru by his bloody brother's side, even as Inuyasha's grip began to lesson on his hand.


	12. Chapter 12 Now We're Even

**Now We're Even**

The ambulance split the traffic as it sped down the street, its sirens wailing threw the night in alarmed warning. The paramedics rushed-frantically trying to save the two teens stuffed in the back of their screaming van.

Kagome starred blankly at the ceiling of the van, she couldn't look around, therefore she couldn't see Inuyasha, and that scarred her. She tried to move her head to see if he was there, but her head was strapped down along with the rest of her body so she wouldn't move much.

" Inuyasha? Where's Inuyasha?" she asked frantically, she started straining against the restraints.

"He's right next to you ma'am, it's alright." It was almost as if their words went threw one ear and out the other.

"No, he's not! Were is he, why cant I see him? Where is Inuyasha?" The doctor tried calming her, getting annoyed that she couldn't get it into Kagome's mind that Inuyasha was lying right next to her. The doctor gave an exasperated sigh.

"He's right here!" The doctor screamed, grabbing Inuyasha's limp hand and thrusting it into Kagome's. "See?" The doctor asked more calmly. "He's been right next to you this whole time."

Kagome breathed, feeling Inuyasha's cold knuckles in her warm hands. Her eyes were blurred with tears that didn't want to fall from her eyes, and she so wanted to look at him. Show to her racing heart and mind that he was still alive and not a pile of dust on a slab.

The doctor sat upright, eyeing Kagome in wonder. He leaned back into the driver's ear and whispered, "This isn't good, Bill. Her heart's racing at an accelerated rate, and the bullet wound right above it. We have to calm her heart down before she goes into convulsions!"

Kagome blinked, grasping Inuyasha's hand tighter. She forced her eyes to look to the side as far as they could go, hoping to see Inuyasha fully. All she managed to get was a silhouette of his profile.

**Oceans apart day after day  
And I slowly go insane  
**

"Inuyasha…" she began, in a hoarse tone. He didn't move. Kagome forced herself to look further. "Inuyasha…. it's…. gonna be okay…." He didn't answer. Kagome bit her lip and looked away. She never let go of his hand, even as she felt his flesh grow colder threw the minuets. _Please, Inuyasha… not yet…just not yet…_

**I hear your voice on the line  
But it doesn't stop the pain **

The ambulance pulled to a stop at the all too familiar Community Hospital, and they rushed the two into threw the doors.

Ayame met them half way down the hall, throwing on a pair of operating gloves and a face mask as she helped them wheel the two into the operating room.

"What happened?" She demanded, leaning over Kagome.

"Gun shot wound in the upper left breast." A doctor replied. He looked up at Ayame then…with fear deep in his eyes. "It's lodged right above her heart. Ayame's muscles tensed and she looked at Kagome with worry.

Ayame then saw another group of doctors enter the room with Inuyasha on the bed. She ran over to them and slid to a halt be another female doctor.

"And what about him?" Ayame asked. Her question was answered when the female doctor lifted up a towel to reveal the bleeding wound. Ayame gasped, then ran a hand threw her red hair.

"Alright," she began calmly. "Let's get the bullets out and call any blood donors we know of!" Every doctor in the room nodded once and instantly began to work.

**If I see you next to never  
How can we say forever**

**Inuyasha's Mind**

The tunnel was dark and cold. Mist twisted up a pair of legs that wandered aimlessly up and down the road. It was Inuyasha. Glancing around wondering what in the hell was going on. He rubbed his arms up and down and blew every once in a while into his fists.

Inuyasha stopped in the middle of the fogged path and glanced behind him. "Hello? Is anyone here?" There was no answer. Just the howl of the wind as it stirred up the fog.

Inuyasha leaned away from the darkness behind him and bit his lip. "Oi…is…ANYTHING…here?"

He blew a lock of hair out of his face and began to walk some more. Inuyasha had walked on and on…. Aimlessly threw the darkness towards warmth that was unseen. Suddenly… Inuyasha stopped sharp. He squinted threw the mist and black and could just barely make out the silver lining of what…. appeared to be a man.

Inuyasha cocked his head and moved closer. The figure looked as thought it was leaning on a wall, and it seemed to not notice Inuyasha's presence. Inuyasha walked threw a wall of mist, shielding his eyes for a moment before he was out of the stuffy cloud. He came to an abrupt halt when the figure moved.

It's head turned, and even though Inuyasha couldn't see them, he could feel eyes starring at him. The figure pushed off the wall, standing tall for Inuyasha. Around him, light shimmered, and the figure started to gain a tangible body and features.

Inuyasha gasped and took a step away, as the filling figure began to approach. Inuyasha backed away further but then he suddenly felt something grab his body. Inuyasha froze, feeling every muscle lock like a spell was thrown over him. Inuyasha struggled, grabbing a hold of his legs in attempts to break them of whatever was holding them. The figure smiled, lips finally filling into his face. Inuyasha gasped as he saw the man standing in front of him-now completely tangible.

The figure smiled at him warmly, tucking his hands in his white pant pockets.

"Ahh, Inuyasha…" said the figure, holding a familiar voice to Inuyasha. "I've been waiting for you."

Inuyasha growled and made a fist. "Who are you? What did you do to me?"

The figure looked at him with hurt eyes and replied, "Why, Inuyasha, I'm hurt! You don't remember me?"

"I don't make a habit of talking to dead people, sorry."

The man smiled and shook his head. "I should hope not, son."

Inuyasha's eyes napped open. "W…what did you call me?"

The man looked up at him with burning ember eyes. "I've been watching you, Inuyasha. And I could hardly wait for the day I'd see you face to face." The man closed the gap between him and Inuyasha, and ran a hand up Inuyasha's cheek. Inuyasha leaned as far away as he could. Why was a strange man touching him like he was family? Or just…some creepy spirit who's…desperately lonely?

"Inuyasha…" barked the spirit, his voice suddenly stern as he whipped his had away from Inuyasha's cheek. " I am…. your father."

Inuyasha suddenly felt his blood run hot.

**Wherever you go  
Whatever you do **

**I will be right here waiting for you  
**

**Back to reality**

"He's gone into cardiac arrest!" screamed a doctor. The room was chaotic as doctors and nurses rushed to save Inuyasha and Kagome. The doctors rushed-fighting time as they shocked Inuyasha in the chest. Ayame pumped air into his lungs threw that balloon, praying out loud to herself.

"One, two three- CLEAR!" Ayame ordered.

Kagome's body was numb because the bullet wound was in her right side, but she was drained and weak all the same. The doctors had already dug the bullet out and were stitching up the wound when she heard the heart monitor for Inuyasha go flat.

"Oh God, he's dead, isn't he?" she choked.

"Now ma'am, just relax, it'll be okay---"

"No! He's dead, OH GOD! No! Inuyasha, no-ho!" Kagome cried, tossing and turning her head as the tears came endlessly. The doctors tried to calm her with cooing words that went unheard over her screams.

"Inuyasha! No-Inuyashaaaaaaaaa!"

**Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you  
**

**Limbo**

Inuyasha could hardly grasp that thought. Could this man truly be…his father? The man took two steps away from Inuyasha, letting the boy breath.

"I know it's hard to grasp, but you'll get used to it eventually. I am your father." Inuyasha frowned in sadness and confusion and looked to the floor.

The man saw the distress in his 'son's' eyes, and turned sad as well….looking away.

"I…can remember his name…I think…" Inuyasha suddenly murmured, catching the man's gaze as he looked up. Inuyasha was deep in thought, his eyes almost clouded as the memories came back to him. "Yes…eyes like fire and hair like clouds…." Inuyasha shut his eyes, shoving the tears back into his eyes.

"And what was your father's name?" asked the figure, digging deeper into Inuyasha's emotions.

Inuyasha's brow twitched and his eyes shifted left to right…almost as if he was standing right there…. 18 years ago. He could see his mother's face as she held him close to her, and heard her talking so clearly….

"_Look at his eyes…they're just like yours…Inutaisho."_

"Inu…. Taisho…."

**I took for granted, all the times  
That I though would last somehow **

The man's head snapped up in aw. He saw Inuyasha crack a slight smile, than slowly look up at him.

"That's your name, isn't it?" Inuyasha looked at him, his eyes demanding an answer. "Inutaisho."

The man looked at Inuyasha for a moment, eyes wide…. and then he smiled. "Yes, Inuyasha…that is my name."

Inuyasha sighed with a smile and felt the spell that held his body lift off him, and he stumbled forward. Inuyasha had expected to hit the ground, but his eyes snapped open when he felt himself fall into Inutaisho's arms. He looked at the man who was much taller than he was, and was surprised how…familiar it felt to be in this man's arms.

"You don't need to worry anymore, my son," cooed the man, as he put a hand on Inuyasha's head, stopping him from pushing away. "You don't have to worry anymore. You don't have to be alone any more…You're safe now…. With me…" Inuyasha stopping his struggle to break free of the man's arms, and felt a sudden calmness sink into him. Inuyasha relaxed and closed his eyes.

"Yes…." Whispered Inutaisho. "Relax…and forget…. forget all about them."

"Leave them all behind. The pain, the sorrow. Everything…and everyone. Even her….forget them all…and stay with me."

**  
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears  
But I can't get near you now  
**

**Reality**

"Someone calm her down! She's ripping out her IV's!" Demanded Ayame, gesturing with her head over in Kagome's direction. She was panicking; ripping at the IV's that dug into her arm in attempts so get free and rush to Inuyasha's side. Two doctors rushed over to Kagome, both taking a shoulder and began to force Kagome back down.

**Oh, can't you see it baby?**

"Miss, calm down! It'll be okay!"

"No! He's dead! He's DEAD! Inuyasha!"

"Miss, please! Just---"

"INUYASHA!"

**You've got me going' Crazy**

Ayame had her figures dug into the hole in Inuyasha's neck, trying to get to the bullet lodged in his collarbone. She whipped the dripping sweat from her forehead with her shoulder and bit her lip. The bullet was so far in, she couldn't get to it, and if she didn't get it soon…than there would be no hope in reviving Inuyasha again.

"You got it, Ayame?" asked a nurse, who was whipping the blood that dripped out of the wound as Ayame worked.

Ayame licked her lips as the tension weighed down on her.

"It's in there so far I can't…get it out…" she answered.

The doctor bit his lip and didn't ask any more questions. Just bit his lip and looked away.

**Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you**

"Wait.." Ayame gasped. She felt her fingers wrap around something hard. "I think I've got it…" She slowly pulled, hoping to God that it wasn't a bone she had a hold of. Her fingers emerged, her white gloves dripping with blood, and she held the object in her hand up to the light. The shape gave away the fact it was indeed the bullet, and Ayame and the other doctors smiled slightly.

Ayame threw the bullet into a little tin bowl than she returned to her demanding tone.

"Alright, someone get me two tubes, now!"

Two doctors sprang into action and returned within seconds with two tubes. Ayame took one and coaxed it down the hole in Inuyasha's throat, than punctured his stomach and slid a tube in there to drain the blood.

"Alright, someone shock him again!" Ayame ordered.

"But…"

"Do it now!" Ayame ordered sharply. The nurse didn't hesitate in planting those clod petal plates on his chest and sending a shock threw his body.

A doctor turned to Kagome, who had relaxed onto the bed, and said, "You see? Everything's going to be just fine…"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome murmured. "INUYASHA!"

**Limbo**

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open and he gasped. He had heard his name echo threw the tunnel of which he and his father still stood, hugging. Inuyasha looked behind him, than up at his dad, and noticed that it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him. His dad heard it too.

"It's her…" Inutaisho said with hint of anger.

"Her…Kagome?" Inuyasha said. "Kagome!" Inuyasha suddenly forgot about the warmth he felt in his father's arms and pushed away from him, sprinting a few steps away, towards the opposite end of the tunnel.

"Kagome! Kagome, I'm right here! KAGOME!" Inuyasha called, stopping in his tracks.

"She can't hear you," Said Inutaisho, the anger still in his tone. Inuyasha turned and looked at Inutaisho in alarm.

"I have to go back! She needs me!" Inuyasha said, gesturing behind him with his arm.

"You can't go back," Inutaisho bit back. Inuyasha looked at him with confusion. "You are dead, Inuyasha. Incase you haven't figured it out, you can't come back from the dead after being comatose for nearly 30 minuets. Your brain would be damaged beyond repair…even for a youkai." Inuyasha's breathing became deeper and more distressed, and he looked to the floor with sadness.

"But….I can't just….leave her—"

"You have no choice. Inuyasha!" Roared Inutaisho, scaring Inuyasha a bit. His face was cold and angry, and just looking into his eyes made Inuyasha quiver. Suddenly, all composure returned to him, and Inutaisho reached out his arms for his son once more.

"W-why would you want to return, anyway, son? Think of all the pain you'd be going threw? All the fighting and discomfort. " Inutaisho began to walk, slowly closing the gap between Inuyasha and himself.

**I wonder how we can survive  
This romance  
**

"Stay with me, my son…. stay with me and forget…." His words were smooth and clear, and Inuyasha suddenly felt that calmness fall over him again. Inuyasha felt his mind slip away again, and his eyes closed once more, giving in to his dad's supernatural powers.

"INUYASHA!"

That voice screamed again, and Inuyasha's eyes jerked open.

"No! Shut up! Stop!" Inuyasha demanded, holding his hands over his ears as he clenched his eyes shut and backed away from the progressing Inutaisho. He paused in his walk, arms still out and face stunned.

"What is it son?"

Inuyasha still held his hands on his ears and bowed his head. "Don't…just don't…I don't wanna hear it any more." _I can't listen….because if I do…I lose her face…Kagome's face…_

**I wonder how we can survive  
This romance  
**

Inutaisho's eyes went from stunned…to anger, and he let his arms fall back to his sides. Inuyasha saw him do this, and decided it was safe to unplug his ears.

"How can you do this? Decide pain and Earth over Heaven?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I believe if it was truly my time, I would have woken up in heaven, and not in Limbo," Inuyasha replied. " I still have a chance, Dad…to make things right…I can't just walk away and leave things as they are…not now." Inuyasha smiled even though his dad was not.

"Goodbye, Father," Inuyasha said, before turning on his heal and running towards the darkness.

"Son, no-WAIT!" Inutaisho cried, reaching his hand for his son's distant face. Inuyasha stopped and turned, seeing the look of sorrow on his dads' face. Inuyasha sighed

"Don't worry, Dad. I know what I'm doing. I will see you again…but not tonight." Inutaisho shook his head and bowed it, and Inuyasha sighed.

"Dad… one of these day's you're going to have to realize the difference between what's the easy way out…and what's the right way out…" Inutaisho looked up at his son, who smiled at him with warmth. A final farewell.

"Goodbye…Dad."

With that, Inuyasha turned and ran, and didn't stop…not even as he heard his father cry out his name one last time.

He closed his eyes as he felt the cold consume him, and the pain began, and he held his breath before he took a leap of faith into the black darkness.

**But in the end if I'm with you  
I'll take the chance  
**

**Reality**

"CLEAR!" called the doctor, as a wave of electricity was sent threw Inuyasha's body again.

"Inuyasha, come on!" demanded Ayame. "Do it again!"

"Ayame, it's over! We've been trying to get him back for 20 minuets!"

"I don't care! Just try it one more time!"

The nurse shook her head, than planted the plates to Inuyasha's chest. She pressed the button, a shock ran threw his body and it jolted…and then…the heart monitor began to beat.

**Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you**

Inuyasha let out a gasp of air, his eyes snapped wide open and his back arched as the life returned to his stiff body. The doctors surrounding his bed jump up in surprise, and than stood in awe at their patient.

The nurse who had doubted Ayame looked up at her with wide eyes, and Ayame looked up to her with the same expression.

"It's a miracle…" murmured a doctor by Kagome's bed. Kagome tried to see over the bodies of people around Inuyasha's bed, but she couldn't lift her body high enough to see.

"He's alive, sweetie," said a doctor, giving her shoulder a little shake. "He's alive." Kagome felt a little bit of the pressure lift off her chest, but she still wanted to see his face…just to make sure he was really alive.

Ayame whipped the swat from her forehead with her sleeve and smiled at her team.

"Good work everyone…good work."

Inuyasha had a bit of trouble trying to breath again, but after a few harsh puffs, he regained his breathing pattern and calmed down.

"Let's get him stitched up and cleaned and we can call it good," Ayame said calmly…for the first time that night. Inuyasha didn't feel them stitch his wounds shut, and as he swallowed, he let his head fall to the side. He met the gaze of Kagome…who looked into his eyes with tears. He was alive! He was really…alive.

Inuyasha cracked a weak smile, feeling the pain that his father talked about slowly coming to him.

"Now we're even…" Inuyasha replied. Kagome paused, than broke down. Her body jerked as she cried and she slowly turned away. Mixtures of feelings made the tears flow fast; anger, frustration, happiness, relief. All so overwhelming to her, but at the same time…welcoming to her. Now….they WERE truly even.

**Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you**


	13. Chapter 13 What's going on?

_What's going on?_

Sesshoumaru sat in a chair turned backwards; arms folded on top and his chin sat on his palms. He sat and starred at his brother who slept as quiet as the dead in front of him. Sesshoumaru had been known to show little emotion, but every moment paled to comparison to what his face looked like than.

He didn't know what to think any more. Sure, the car accident was bad, but things like that happen every day…. accept for the whole "one car was completely obliterated and the other drove away with nothing but a dent or two" thing. But now…here they were again, both nearly dead and in hospital beds. Two near death experiences in less than three weeks began to make Sesshoumaru suspect that maybe…that car wreak wasn't just an accident. After all, someone had to go threw all the trouble of sneaking past security and metal detectors at the theatre to get to their booth. Not to mention all the loops and twists you'd have to go threw to even figure out with booth they were sitting in without getting caught. A lot of planning and days when into that plan.

It was obvious to Sesshoumaru that someone was after his brother and best friend, but who? And better yet…. why? Sesshoumaru sighed and rubbed his face harshly as he felt the sleep coming to him. But he dare not close his eyes; in fear something else might happen.

"Burning the candle at both ends, I see."

Sesshoumaru whipped around to see Kagome standing behind him, wrapped in a blanket that was once on her bed. Sesshoumaru double took between her and the bed where he thought she was laying in.

"Kagome…" Sesshoumaru yawned, blinking his eyes a few times. "I didn't hear you get up." Kagome smiled and waltzed her way over to him.

"Nah, I've been out of bed for a good 30 minuets now. I just stuffed the sheets with pillows so the doctors thought I was still asleep. It's nearly 10:00 so most of the nurses that patrol the halls are gone. I'm surprised they let you stay after visiting hours. "

Sesshoumaru chuckled and shook his head. "Never could sit still for more than a few hours, hu? And yes, it took quite a bit of coaxing, but Ayame was kind enough to let me stay. Im' pushing the time limit, though. "

They chuckled in unison, than Kagome said, "Yeah, that's me…old Ms. A.D.D." A chuckle again…and than silence. Kagome licked her lower lip than let her eyes wander to Inuyasha.

"Scary huh?" Sesshoumaru nodded slightly, not that she saw it. A moment of silence passed and Sesshoumaru.

"So, you have any idea what's going on?" he paused, glancing at her slightly, waiting for an answer. Kagome folded her arms and swayed, shaking her head.

"No… Not really." She glanced back at him. He knew she was silently asking for him to tell her what he thought, not that he'd tell her until she asked verbally though.

Sesshoumaru nodded once and looked to his lap.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna make me ask you verbally, hu?"

Sesshoumaru looked up at her with an innocent look and asked, "Of course!"

Kagome sighed but smiled all the same, and pulled the blanket tighter around her. "Alright…tell me…what do you think about it? This whole…Assassination attempt?"

Sesshoumaru smiled in satisfaction, and stretched his arms out in front of him.

"Well, I think that some one's after you two. The car crash could have been pushed aside because it happened all the time, but then only three weeks latter, some one attacks you two when they obviously had to go through a lot of work to get to you."

"Wow, pause, wait, wow… I just got through being shot, so would you please slow down a tad?" she said, blinking and holding a hand up to silence him. He had said that whole paragraph with one breath.

Sesshoumaru grimaced. "Sorry about that…a mixture of exhaustion and frustration and anger…and hungry-ness…. And a pregnant wife with terrible mood swings."

Kagome had to laugh at that last one. "Speaking of which, when is the baby due?"

"About a month or two. "

Kagome's eyes went wide for a moment. "Wow. Already that far along?" Sesshoumaru just smiled and nodded, and Kagome could see the gleam of a father behind his eyes for a brief instant.

"Anyway…back to what you were saying," Kagome said, after a few beats of unsteady silence.

Sesshoumaru blinked at her, than remembered the topic of which they had briefly dropped. "Oh yeah! I think it's become obvious to you that that shoot-out was freak accident…"

Kagome nodded cocked her jaw. "Yeah."

"Well, I've been thinking that maybe the car accident wasn't "freak" either." Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru sternly, as if his words had struck a curious cord in her mind.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that that car accident was no accident. And obviously, neither was the shooting." Sesshoumaru's voice grew tougher and tougher the more he spoke, and Kagome could feel the tension in her body increase with each word he aloud to escape his lips.

"Kagome…someone want you both…. dead."

'Dead'. That word made Kagome recoil for a moment. She felt her breath catch in her throat, and she looked away from his eyes for a moment. She knew death. For the past few weeks, it had been a close companion to her. But to hear someone else speak the words she had to herself over and over…was a little more than she could handle.

Sesshoumaru secede his actions in explaining his thoughts further. He figured with how Kagome reacted, she got the idea. Kagome licked her lips and cocked her head back in Sesshoumaru's direction, but kept her eyes on Inuyasha.

"Why do you think they'd be after us?" Kagome said in a whisper.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Good question. Have you done anything in the past that might upset someone?"

"No! The only people I like to piss off are you guys, just 'cause I know you wouldn't kill me. What about Inuyasha?"

"Not that I know of. Inuyasha can be a bad ass at times, but I don't think, besides a few High school fights like Koga, he'd actually go as far as to piss someone off to the point of wanting to brutally murder him." Kagome bit the corner of her mouth and rubbed her temple as she tried to pit this all together.

Nothing. Nothing was making sense! None of the clues connected other than the fact they both had to do with narrowly escaping death. She hadn't seen the person's face threw the shadows back at the theatre. It was all too dark, and she guessed that's why he attacked in plane sight. Not by some sniper gun in a vent somewhere in the ceiling. Which probably would have gotten the job done all the same. But…she did remember eyes.

"You know the police would like to interview you. That car wreck, to the media, was just an accident. But now that someone has assaulted both of you in broad day light…it gains a few whispers in the Tokyo P.D. It's become the law's problem as well, now."

Kagome sighed. "Yeah, I know. But I don't think either of us would be much help. I couldn't really see his or hers facial features because they was in the shadows. And, like I told you, I haven't given anyone a reason to put up a grudge against me."

"It's all confusing…" Sesshoumaru said, running a hand threw his tamed and sliver locks, than stopping half and starred off into space.

"You're right…. It doesn't make sense at all."

Kagome took turns looking at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha; comparing the features and realizing just how much alike they looked. Same nose. Same eyes, same facial structures accept for Sesshoumaru had a tighter jaw line than Inuyasha. They were both very handsome, and Kagome could see the physical relation between them and their father as well-biased on pictures she had seen of him.

_I wonder if Inuyasha got a chance to see his parent up close when he died? _ She thought. That's when Kagome realized the dark circles around Sesshoumaru's drooping eyes.

"If you don't mind me saying, Sesshoumaru, you look…" Kagome paused when he looked up at her with a drained look in his pail face. "Tired."

Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair, holding onto the back as he did so and sighed. "Yeah I…haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Rin sending you on food errands?" Kagome said with a smirk.

"That…. and…something else."

Kagome frowned. "What else?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he looked off into the distance, his ember eyes burning in the pail light. "When you and Inuyasha got into that wreck…and I saw Inuyasha in that hospital bed, near death's door and looking like hell…I realized just how powerless I was. This whole time, I thought I could protect him, but the cold truth is…I can't. I made a promise to myself the night you two woke up. I promised that I'd never let Inuyasha come so close to death again. But I blink and suddenly I'm here again, watching as he suffers from another death blow." He looked up at Kagome with sad eyes, and it tore at Kagome to see him look that way. "I can't protect him, Kagome. I can try, but…death is one thing NO ONE can prevent. You two were lucky this last time, but until this bustard is caught…you two run the risk of being assaulted again. And maybe…this next time you won't…. " He couldn't bring himself to say the rest. He bit off the words and looked away for a moment. Kagome was surprised. Sesshoumaru had never shown this much emotion before. Not to anyone but Rin. She thought it was heart breaking to see Inuyasha sad, but to see someone who's usually emotionless nearly to tears…her heart fell to her toes.

"He's the only family I have left. And I know death is unpreventable…but so help me God, if anyone… ANYONE tries to kill the both of you…I would throw myself in front of the bullet instead."

Kagome's eyes burned as she felt the tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"I wouldn't let you, though."

"Why?"

"Because you have too much to live for right now. A wife, a child. You'd be leaving too much behind."

"I would make the same sacrifice for Rin, you know."

"I know you would. I have no doubt in my mind that you would. But Inuyasha and I…don't have a family to protect, so…it would be a little easier to leave it all behind."

"Don't say that," Sesshoumaru said, tuning his head away.

"I'm not saying I'm gonna go jumping off a cliff, Sesshoumaru. I'm just saying, even though it would be a sad thing, we wouldn't be leaving anyone new and precious behind…besides you guys, of course," she added with a smile. They shared a chuckle and a shake of their heads, before falling silent again.

"You should get some sleep," Kagome said, patting him on the back once or twice.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the watch on his wrist and sighed. "Yeah, I guess your right. Rin's probably wondering when I'll be getting home, anyways. " Sesshoumaru pushed himself up out of the chair and pushed it back to its original place beside Inuyasha's bed and turned just in time to wrap Kagome up in a hug.

"Good night, Sessho," Kagome said, her jaw pinched shut because it was wresting on his shoulder.

"Good night, Kags."

Sesshoumaru turned away and walked over to the door, pulling on his coat that has slumped in another chair by the door. He turned and pushed the door open, but before he disappeared, Kagome spoke out.

"Sesshoumaru?"

He stopped and looked back at her. She was hesitant, and looked a way for a moment. "Thank you…"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply. He just starred at her for a brief second, than smiled at her. She smiled back and watched him disappear behind the door. She let out a sigh, and ran her hands up her arms and kept them there for a bit. She glanced over at Inuyasha and bit her lip.

"Oi, Inuyasha…what the hell's going on?"

Author's note" Btw, that last chapter had a song in it by "Chicago". Just thought I'd let you all know. Thanks for the reviews and keep' em coming!


	14. Chapter 14 A stroll in the park

**A stroll in the Park. **

The two 'survivors' were released from the hospital shortly after Inuyasha had awoken, and the two were just as happy to be back home as last time. They were glad to be in their own beds…well…Inuyasha's bed. Kagome still wasn't used to sleeping alone. They were happy to be eating their own food, drinking their own water, and taking a much-deserved bath.

That week, Kagome had been thinking quite a lot about what Sesshoumaru had told her that time at the hospital, and during the nights she found it…quite difficult to catch some sleep.

She and Inuyasha lay in bed, backs towards each other and both in the same position. Inuyasha was fast asleep, but Kagome, of course, was wide-awake. She starred out the window across from her, the full moon casting a pail glaze over her milky skin.

_And the cold truth is…I can't protect him…_

That one sentence stuck with her the most that night, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it went the same for her.

_I can't protect him either_ Kagome thought to herself. _I know that's a masculine trait to want to protect someone but…I can't help it! _Kagome sighed, than flipped over onto her back.

_What would I do if he actually died? I would blame myself, for one…Oi, I need to stop thinking about this! _Kagome growled to herself. She let out a breath and slowly slithered out of bed. She didn't bother telling Inuyasha where she was going, because she didn't plan on being gone for that long. She figured that all she really needed was a breath of fresh air.

She didn't bother getting dressed, either. She just slipped on her sandals and walked out the door. She turned and looked back at Inuyasha one more time, before she shut the door behind her.

Kagome walked down the sidewalk, hands tucked under her arms as a breeze blew past her. Cars hummed past, and street lamps lit the way.

_Why is it bothering me so much? It's not THAT big of a deal! _Kagome soon found herself at her favorite spot in the park, at the swings. She sat down and started to push herself…that is, until someone else did that for her.

Inuyasha watched as kagome went down the street and into the park.

_Why is she out here in the dead of night?_ He thought, stopping abruptly in his pase. He watched how she casually walked around, really heading no surtant place until she suddenly pivoted on her heel and headed west. Inuyasha cocked his head and got a curious look on his face. He decided, after very little mental debate, to follow her.

He darted across the street after a car pasted by, and he pressed his body flat against the trunk of a tree. He felt so "secret-agent-man" while he did all this; tip-toed across a street while hunched as far down as he could go, than sculpting his body to fit the weird curves in the trunk to hide his form. He had a smile of both fun and sneaky, and he let his fingers tap against the bark anxiously. He than slowly glanced over his shoulder to see if Kagome was still in sight.

"_I'm so tired of being here…. suppressed by all my…childish fears. Well if you have to leave…I whish that you would just leave…" _Kagome sang out loud to the lyrics of her favorite song, by Evanescence, while she lazily pushed herself in the swings, barely moving at all. She was surprised to find out how much the lyrics matched what she was feeling. Not in the depth that the song had, but kind of along the same road. It was about her memories, the ones about Inuyasha. She used to love being around him, but now that they've almost died twice…things began to go into a little perspective for her. She had taken for granted all the years she had spent by his side, never knowing how easily it could all be ripped away from her.

"_Cause your presence still lingers here…and it won't leave me alone!_ _These wounds won't seem to heal…this pain_ _is just too real…there's just too much that time cannot erase!"_

She pushed out on the swing, and gasped. Suddenly she and her swing were being lifted high into the air, and she let out a scream when she swung back. She saw a body stumble out from under her swing and let out a sigh when she realized who it was.

"Inuyasha…y-you jerk! You know I hate Under Dogs!"

Inuyasha stumbled but turned around and smiled as if nothing had happened. He ran a hand threw his hair and laughed. "Well you know I can't pass up an opportunity to scare the shit out of you." He walked up at took a seat in the swing next to her as Kagome fought for her lost pride.

"I wasn't scared! Just startled. There's a difference, you see," she added with a point of a finger. Inuyasha snorted and shook his head.

"What now?"

Inuyasha shook his head again and leaned his elbows on his knees. The moon reflected in his golden eyes, and suddenly Kagome lost the urge to argue further. She blinked at their beauty as they became luminous, than turned away from them, leaning her head on the chains of the swing. A wind fell over them, as did sudden silence. Both, for the first time in their lives…were at loss for words.

"So…"Kagome said, flowed by a hack as she cleared her throat. "What possessed you to fallow me?"

Inuyasha didn't look at her. He just connected his hands at the fingertips and looked off into the distance. "Considering all the shit that's happened to us the past month, I'd say I've gained a rather sturdy license to fallow you around. Especially at night." He glanced over at her with a smile.

Kagome blinked. He looked so handsome in the moonlight. Skin glowing like an angel, hair brighter than the stars, and…wait, what was she thinking? She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head, ridding her mind of the thoughts that suddenly invaded her. Inuyasha caught that little action and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You okay?"

Kagome's eyes were still clenched shut. She wouldn't look at him. Couldn't. She knew if she did, she'd just get lost in her thoughts again.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired, is all."

"That's understandable. You haven't been able to sleep well lately, have you?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. My mind won't seem to stop long enough to allow my body to rest."

"Oh," Inuyasha said, leaning closer to her. "What's on your mind? I heard that if you talk about it, it'll leave you alone and your mind can relax."

Kagome frowned and smiled at the same time. "Who told you that?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Some…smart guy in a magazine. I don't know his name." Kagome chuckled at that, than looked at her feet. Inuyasha repeated his request to know what was on her mind.

"It's…nothing…just…this and that." Yeah right like she'd tell him the truth. Yeah, Inuyasha, I think you're hot, and I'd be miserable if you died and I think I'm in love with you…like that could ever work!

Inuyasha cocked his head. "What this and that?"

Kagome shrugged. "Just…about life. After everything that's happened…a lot of things have some into perspective for me."

"Like what?"

Kagome paused; the words wouldn't come to her. "Just…things…hard things." She couldn't say it. It would hurt too much to say 'the mighty Kagome is no longer mighty' and burst into tears. She had to act like it wasn't anything major. Perhaps with enough acting and smiling, he'll drop it.

Inuyasha sighed and made his swing scoot closer to hers. "You know, Kagome, I know how it feels. You want to act tough and brave and act like it doesn't hurt or bother you so people will think you're okay and drop the subject. But maybe what hurts more... is not being able to say it hurts."

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes. He spoke those words and they sank deep within her heart. His lips said the words her soul had been longing for.

"You're not alone, Kagome…I'm the same way. My pride must always come before my pain. I always thought that I had to be strong and stay that way. And if I cried or spoke the pain of my heart…than I'd lose. Things have been put into perspective for me too, Kagome. I've learned that it's okay to cry for the ones you've lost, because if you don't say what hurts and what pains you…than you'll get so uptight, you'll suffocate in your own sorrow."

Kagome looked at him for a long while, than snorted and looked away.

"What?"

"You're absolutely right….You know, Inuyasha, in the tunnels of Limbo, I heard your voice..,"

"You what—"

"At first, I didn't want to listen. I blamed you for my death and I felt betrayed by you…but then…before I entered the light of heaven…I heard something I'd never heard from you before?"

"What was that? Longing?"

Kagome smiled at him warmly and shook her head. "No…sobbing. You cried for me, Inuyasha, and never in all my years of knowing you, had I never seen you shed even one tear. I suddenly realized that a part of you had fallen away, and that you were truly sorry…"

"Of course I was sorry—"

"No, let me finish," Kagome stopped him, putting her hand in the air. "Your pride was not there when you cried for me. All you thought about was me and you didn't give damn what anyone thought. But somehow I think you weren't just crying for me. You lost your family long ago, Inuyasha, and yet you never cried, even as you watched them get berried in the ground. You released the hurt that had been weighing down on you for so long, and I think your body was relived that the pressure was finally off your chest. That's why you cried so much…. because you were finally free from the hurt."

Inuyasha's turn to stare at her for a long minuet. Her rosy lips had spoken the words that he had longed for someone else to say. He knew now that she truly understood. He smiled and looked to his interlocked hands.

"So…are you going to tell me what hurts you?"

Kagome felt the breath suddenly stop in her throat. Oh, what had she done? She dug herself a deep whole and now she can't get out, that's what! She paused, her jaw stammering as she tried to speak, but couldn't. She looked onto his eyes after she shook her head…and froze.

_Tell me please…I want to know you…_ is what his eyes said to her. The soul behind them begged her to tell him the truth. The whole truth, not just a stretch or loop whole in the truth…but the solid truth.

"Inuyasha…" _Tell him, stupid! Tell him that you like him!_ "I…uh….I think I…."

Kagome suddenly jumped and let out a screech.

"Ow! What the…hell…was…" Kagome suddenly tipped forward and fell out of her swing, landing flat on her face. Inuyasha gasped and tried to catch her but missed.

"Kagome! What's wrong?"

Inuyasha stood up to check on her, than felt a sharp sting in his neck. He flinched and whipped a hand up to the spot that stung. He suddenly felt the word mix around him, and his mind began to spin. Before he knew it, he on his side by Kagome, watching as the world around him blurred…and then went black.


	15. Chapter 15 A train ride to the river

**Chapter 15: A train ride to the river.**

It wasn't the cold breeze than ran up her back, nor was it the constant rumble of the train wheels upon the track that awoke Kagome from her knock out sleep. It was when the train turned a corner and she slid face first into a wall that startled her to her feet.

She jumped up than fell flat on her butt again, and it didn't help matters when the steady throb of a raging headache reared its ugly existence. She reached up a hand to rub the pain away but froze when she realized something; her hands were bound tight behind her back! She looked over her shoulder to see her hands but only succeeding in falling to her side and rolling around like a ball in a tipping jar. Not that it would matter much, considering her eyes were blindfolded as well.

"Goddamn it!" she protested as she landed against a wall again. She laid there in her twisted state for a moment, glaring at the floor and grumbling to its floorboards before she head a slight… snoring sound. Her head shot up and she looked around a bit but could only see the blackness of her blindfold. Inuyasha was bound at the wrists, ankles and blindfolded just like her. The only difference was that he was looking quite content in his little ball of sleeping hanyou.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called blindly, tilting her ear in any direction she thought he'd answer from. "Inuyasha? Is that you?" All she heard was snoring. She wrinkled her nose and scoffed. She than rubbed the side of her head against her shoulder, slowly pulling down the bandana that was over her eyes.

Once she got it off, she let out a grunt as she blinked her eyes to adjust them to what little light was in the room. She saw Inuyasha curled up on his side, sleeping away. Kagome blew a lock out of her face and glared at Inuyasha. She looked around the room than saw what looked like a bowling pin on the floor, than kicked it as hard as she could at Inuyasha. It connected with his head with a hallow thunk, than skid across the floor away from him. He shot up and screamed.

"OW! What the hell—"

He tried to reach a hand up to the goose egg on his forehead when his hands stopped about midway up his back.

"What the—" Than he realized that all he could see was darkness. He blinked a few times and shook his head, but he still could only see darkness.

"AAAAAAaaaa! Help! I'm blind! I'm blind!" Kagome sighed as she watched him flop around like a fish out of water, than, after a few seconds, decided she had enough.

"Inuyasha…Inuyasha…INUYASHA!" He froze. "You're not blind, just blind FOLDED." Inuyasha paused in his quick breathing, than did what Kagome had done and rubbed his face on his shoulder, until the blindfold fell off. It fell to his chin and stuck there and he sighed, feeling quite stupid.

"Oh…right, I knew that," he said with an eked smile. Kagome shook her head and raised an eyebrow at him. Inuyasha just ignored her, than began to shift his hands in the ropes. He twisted and writhed his wrists until they bled; trying to situate his hands so his razor sharp claws could cut threw his bindings.

He found the rope at last and started sawing threw them. Kagome watched as the rope snapped off of his wrists and he let out a breath of both pain and relief when he was free. He held his hands up and saw that the flesh around them had been rubbed almost completely off. Kagome cringed and bit her lip. By the way his hands were shaking, she could tell it hurt him very much.

Inuyasha double took at Kagome and noticed she was still bound as well. Without wasting time, he cut threw the ropes around his ankles than crawled behind her and sliced threw hers. She let out a gasp when her arms were free and she gave them a little twist to stretch them out.

They paused to look around themselves. It was dark, and there were little boxes painted with what looked like circus animals on them. Inuyasha frowned at one; a clown with a wicked smile, than stood up to get a closer look. Suddenly, the place jolted and Kagome and Inuyasha were sent tumbling backwards. Kagome crashed neck first into a box and Inuyasha flipped head over heels into an open crate.

"Ohhh…Ow…" Kagome said, rubbing the new kink in her neck. Thank God a whole half of her was numb or she might be in serious pain. She stood up with unsteady balance as the room shook more, than caught her self on the crate Inuyasha was cockeyed-sandwiched in.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, standing on her tiptoes to look into the rather tall crate.

"M'fne. Juss a little…crmpt," he said, his neck pinched in such a way it crushed his voice box. Kagome had to laugh at how he sounded, but helped him out any way. He let out a breath and sighed.

"Ah…. Thank you—WooooooW!" Suddenly, the room jolted again, this time sent them skidding into the opposite wall. Inuyasha lost his footing somewhere in the middle and landed on his rear, back against another box, fallowed by Kagome in his lap.

"Alright, why do we keep flipping around like a gold fish in a zip-lock bag held by a three year old?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shrugged as she looked around. "Your guess is as good as mine." She saw a little bit of light peeking threw a few cracks in between the wood that made the room walls, and she frowned.

Than, the wale of a train bell rang out, taking Kagome and Inuyasha by surprise.

"What the-we're on a train?" Inuyasha announced. Kagome leaped from his lap and ran to a tall box. She jumped up on top and squinted to see threw a crack. She could see a few train trams and smoke. The trams were decorated and painted vibrantly with many eye catching twists and turns carved in the wood.

"Not just any train," Kagome began. She looked over her shoulder at him and finished. "We're on a circus train."

Inuyasha's jaw slightly dropped and he gawked at Kagome for a moment. She dismissed his look and hopped off the box. He let out a chuckle after a few minuets and shook his head.

"Well…that would explain the bowling pin, the creepy clown face, and the, well, everything else." Kagome just shrugged and bit the corner of her mouth.

"So what do we do?" she asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Inuyasha mimicked her with great mockery and Kagome just replied with a raised eyebrow. Inuyasha just laughed a few times before turning serious again.

He began to look around, looking for where a door or window would be. His eyes eventually landed on a barricaded part of the walls and walked up to it. He ran his hand down the lock and latch and knew it was the door.

"Hey, Kagome, I found the door," he replied over his shoulder. Kagome was at his side in a matter of seconds.

"Great, 'cause I'm getting a little Closter phobic, here." Inuyasha just smirked, his eyes focused on the door lock. He flexed his hands than raked his claws against the metal once, a whistle and a golden light emerging from his claws for a second as they cut threw the metal like butter. The lock fell to the floor in an odd clunk, and Kagome had to jump to dodge the hunk of haggard metal. Inuyasha forced his fingers threw a just barely visible gap than forced the door open. It was harder than it looked to open them; he had to use most of his strength to force the stubborn, rusty things open. He let out a loud breath when they were finally open…than he gasped.

The looked down…down…down…to a frozen over river likely a mile down, or so it looked for a half demon who was deathly afraid of heights. Kagome stepped in front of Inuyasha as if nothing was wrong and she looked straight down. Inuyasha just looked at her wide-eyed.

"Cool," Kagome said, raising her eyebrows at how far down it was. "So…" she looked up at Inuyasha and slapped her hands together. "Who's going first?" Inuyasha's stunned gaze just grew.

"Uh…c-can't we just waist until the train isn't over a bridge?" Inuyasha asked.

"Not unless you want to straddle a tree when you land," Kagome answered, indicated with a thumb-point-over-the-shoulder at the extremely thick forest they were quickly approaching.

"Better that then diving head first into a frozen over river!"

"Well fine, then! I'll jump and you stay and get eaten by bears if you survive getting pummeled by a forest of trees!"

"Fine! I will!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fi—"

The train jolted, and Kagome and Inuyasha's argument was cut short as they stumbled. Kagome gasped as she felt herself falling backwards and she blindly grabbed for something to keep her from falling backwards out of a train. She grabbed the color or Inuyasha's shirt. He too stumbled and before they knew it, they fell out the doors and were falling threw the blizzard cold air.


	16. Chapter 16 A dive into the Ice

**Chapter 16: A dive into the ice**

Inuyasha felt his stomach lodge itself in his throat as he fell farther…and farther…farther. At first he had no idea where he was all he saw was the train above growing smaller and smaller and white. He looked to he left and saw Kagome just a little above him.

"Inuyasha! The river!" Kagome called over the howl of the wind pointing downwards. Inuyasha gasped and turned, seeing the river yawning up to him fast. In the last possible second, he stretched his legs out in a dive and made his hands fisted.

His knuckles met the ice and he burst threw the thick layer. His whole body was quickly engulfed in freezing cold river water.

The impact caused him to black out for a moment; the world around him sounded blurred-like being under water. Than he remembered…. he was under water! His eyes snapped open and his cry was trapped in air bubbles. Than he quickly remembered to hold his breath.

The water was dark, but surprisingly clear and Inuyasha could look around him as easily as if he were wearing goggles. The water was rushing in his ears, and before he knew it, he was being carried away buy the current. He lashed out in the water, hoping to grab something that he could hold on to. But all he was catching was bubbles. He was panicking; his eyes darting around trying to find out where he was headed, but the cold numbed him-inside and out.

He couldn't concentrate. It felt like he was being stabbed from all over. He was dizzy. Confused. Lost. The current was taking him away from the only air hole he had and he watched it helplessly fade into the dark blue.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, hoping it was all just a dream. Than his feet touched what felt like…mud. He let his eyes snap open and he looked down to his toes. He was ankle deep in river muck but surprisingly…no longer floating away. He looked around, than heard a loud splash. He could just barley make out Kagome's form.

Kagome hit the water, and her body almost immediately went numb, not only from the cold but the force her body hit the water at. She was still for a few seconds, trying to save her oxygen but when she saw Inuyasha coming closer to her… or her closer to him, she reached out and grabbed an arm.

Inuyasha jumped when he felt something grab his arm but calmed down when he realized it was just Kagome. He looked at her sine language something to him; she pointed to him, made a fist and punched it into her other hand than pointed at the ice above. '_Punch the ice to create a hole'_ is what she was promptly trying to tell him, and he understood her loud and clear.

He released his arm from hers and swam up and put all the oomph he could muster into the punch and hit the ice, cringing when he felt all his finger pop but he kept at it. Finally, after a few seconds and ten punches later he had a small hole. He started to enlarge it till it could fit a body in it… of course they had to be skinny and still have to fit.

Kagome dug her feet into the muck like Inuyasha had done, but after a few seconds she started to black out, and before she could catch Inuyasha's attention she lifted her feet and was swept away, not having the energy to swim, she just floated away, until she hit a rock and was pressed up against her. Then, she went black.

Inuyasha looked to where kagome was and realized she wasn't there. He looked down stream a little and saw her pressed against a rock. He put his head trough the hole for a quick breath before he swam to her, grabbed her and tried with all his might to swim upstream.

He finally managed to get to the hole and shoved Kagome through it before climbing through it himself. They emerged, him coughing up a storm as water spouted from his mouth. Kagome was dead cold and silent. He dragged her away from the hole than laid her out in front of him before listening to her heartbeat and breathing. She had a faint heart, but she wasn't breathing…at all

"Come on Kags, wake up." Inuyasha murmured before sighing and making a face, "You are going to make me do C.P.R. on you aren't you?" He sighed before tilting Kagome's head back, plugged her nose and gave her two breaths, counted to 5, then gave her two more breaths. Halfway through the second breath she started coughing, she rolled over, got on all fours, and threw up a whole bunch of river water.

"Gross." Kagome said with a cough before shivering a little. Inuyasha breathed a breath of relief before asking,

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked, coughing a little himself. Kagome nodded and stood up, whipping the corner of her mouth as she walked over to him.

"C'mon. Lets try and find our way back." She said, helping Inuyasha to his feet. When he was finally up, he was surprised when Kagome leaned into him for what little warmth he had left.

He placed his arms around her body and hugged her harder, than rubbed his hands up and down her body. He heard Kagome coo when the warmth of his hands filled her ice-cold skin. He took a moment to look around him; all he saw was a frozen river and snow blowing with blizzard-like proportions. He sighed-this was going to be hell…again.


	17. Chapter 17 Chocolate and Wine

**Chapter 17: The taste of chocolate and wine.**

She didn't know how she did it. Through the snow, the ice, and pain of her own body turning to ice, she saw their only chance to live in the form of a hole in the canyon wall. Kagome had almost cried out when she saw the beckoning shelter from the bitter cold just a few yards away, and it was all she had not to collapse right there on the frozen river and sing praise to the Lord for giving them this one break.

Inside, it was an ice cave, but it was better than being outside. Kagome and Inuyasha sat down on a mound of tiny pebbles that made a little island in the middle of a little drain ditch, if you will, that circled around it.

"It's not home, but it'll do for now," Kagome announced as she plopped down on the rocks. Inuyasha sat down but cringed when he sat on a rather sharp rock. Kagome had to laugh when he shrieked like a girl than threw the dreaded rock as far away as he could.

Inuyasha only glared at her before looking away. Stalactites hung from the ceiling and dripped down on them, and the ice the formed around them was clear enough to see their reflections. Inuyasha noticed the reflection of his fists in the ice; he had not realized until now that he had skinned them when he broke through the ice. He was just now feeling the pain.

Kagome watched him stare at his hands that sat crossed in front of him for a moment, than said, "Do they hurt?"

"Not really," Inuyasha lied. Kagome knew he was just trying not to worry her, but she too saw the bloody, bruised knuckles and cringed. Kagome frowned at his 'tough guy' act, than scooted up to him.

"What are you doin'?" Inuyasha asked, leaning away from her.

"Give me your hands," Kagome said as she took the torn piece of her shirt and ripped long strip off.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked again, lifting his hands in the air when she went to grab them.

"Just let me see them!" She reached up and grabbed a hold of his wrist. She ignored his scoff and continued to look at his hand. Aside from the skinned knuckled, his hands were… quite beautiful. Long, slender fingers, soft skin…

Kagome traced a vein on the top of his hand down to the knuckle and Inuyasha flinched.

"I thought you said it didn't hurt," Kagome said.

"Well…not when you don't touch it, idiot!"

Kagome just rolled her eyes than took the bandage and began tow rap up his hands. She was very gentle; Inuyasha hardly felt her work. He watched her work, his eyes seeing something in Kagome…he never took the time to really realize.

She cared.

"There. All done," she said as she tied a knot on top of his hand than placed it in his lap. Inuyasha starred down at it for moment than slowly lifted it. He looked at the cared for work a while, than put it back down on his lap.

He looked up at Kagome with a new look in his eyes. Kagome starred into them and saw something…that she had never seen in ember eyes before.

I care too.

They starred so long at each other, both lost in the words they saw in their eyes.

Kagome suddenly blinked, breaking both their concentration. She shook her head and looked away, causing Inuyasha to realize just what had happened. He too blinked and shook his head. The two than proceeded in scooting to opposite ends of the island, with their backs to each other.

Kagome bit the corner of her mouth. God, he was so tempting to her, but it's not like it would work. She and Inuyasha… had nothing common. But his face…. Those eyes… those hands… that body.

Inuyasha had no idea where the sudden interest in Kagome came from, but now, every time he looked at her, he felt his heart race and his body run hot. Not like anything would happen, though. Kagome and he had…differences that can't be changed.

An hour past, and by this time, Kagome's body was growing colder. She sighed. She had remembered something Sesshoumaru told her when she was younger. The best way to conserve body heat, as risqué as it sounded, was to take off any and all wet clothing, and if you're not alone than to huddle with that person.

Kagome sighed again rolled her eyes. She hated to do it… but living was more important to her than modesty. Without hesitation, she began to strip out of her clothes.

"You should do the same as I am, Inuyasha," Kagome said as she pulled her shirt and shorts off.

"Do wha- WAAAAA!" Inuyasha turned to see Kagome stark naked in front of him, ringing the water out of her shirt. Inuyasha could hardly believe what he was seeing, and his face the darkest shade of red.

"W-what the hell are you doing, woman! Put your damn clothes back on!"

"I'm **trying** to stay warm. And you should do the same," Kagome replied bluntly, holding up her underwear and wringing them out as well. Inuyasha flipped out more, and covered his eyes.

"No, no, no, no, no! No freakin' way!"

"Look. It's either get undressed and huddle together or freeze to death-"

"Than I'll freeze! No way I'm getting undressed in front of you!"

Kagome scoffed and turned to face him; Inuyasha screamed and buried his head in his arms. "It's not like I've never seen you naked before, Inuyasha. And we don't have to huddle. Just get undressed at least, or you'll catch hypothermia."

"No, I'm not taking it off-"

"Oh yes you are."

"Oh, no I'm not I-"

Kagome scrambled over to him and began to unbuckle his belt.

"No, stop! What are you doin'?"

"Undress!"

"NO!"

They wrestled on that island for a good 30 minuets. Kagome managed to strip him clean, but Inuyasha was REALLY not happy about that. He was huddled in a tight ball as far away from Kagome as he could get and refused to look at her.

Kagome, on the other hand, acted as if they weren't shiny nude in front of each other, and she was concentrating more on staying warm. She did push-ups and crunches and other exercising moves to keep her blood flowing and her body nice and toasty. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was staring to fade in and out of sleep.

Kagome just finished her crunches when she sat up and saw Inuyasha half asleep, leaning up against a large bolder near the island's edge.

"Hey," Kagome began, picking up a pebble and tossing it at him. Inuyasha awoke and looked hazily over in Kagome's direction.

"Don't fall asleep," Kagome ordered. "Your body gets colder when you are asleep."

Inuyasha just swallowed hard and looked away. He was getting paler, and his lips were turning an icy blue.

Kagome frowned and sat up on her knees to get a better look at his face.

"Hey Inuyasha, you feeling alright?"

"Yeah. Why?" Inuyasha lazily answered.

"Well…your face looks funny," Kagome said bluntly.

Inuyasha looked over at her, now not really caring she was nude, and raised an eyebrow at her.

Kagome saw the way he was starring at her, and she shrugged. "Well, I didn't mean it all offensively, but you're turning blue!"

"Keh," was all Inuyasha said before turning his head away and closing his eyes. Kagome sighed than scooted on her knees up to him, all the while grumbling to herself.

"What did I just say, Inuyasha? Don't-Go-To-Sleep!" Inuyasha didn't reply, all he did was shiver…rather violently.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome paused with worry, than picked up her crawl pace until she was in front of him. She put a hand up to his forehead and withdrew it fast.

"Oh my God, your face is like ice…" she watched Inuyasha shiver and heard his teeth chatter like a rattlesnake tail.

She sighed and let her shoulders drop. "Oi, Inuyasha…I told you this would happen…"

She touched Inuyasha's wrapped up knuckles, which were shaking just as mach as the rest of his body, and squeezed it gently. Than, as if on cue, Inuyasha's body stopped shaking. Kagome blinked and frowned.

"Hu?" was all she managed to say until Inuyasha slowly fell back. Kagome tried to catch him, but was one second too slow, and Inuyasha hit the floor with a thick thud.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried while she scrambled to his side.

"Inuyasha…Inuyasha, wake up! Wake up, damn it!" Kagome slapped his face and whacked his chest a few times, but he didn't so much as flinch. Kagome began to panic, because now not only was he unconscious, but his lips were going from icy blue…to icy purple.

"Oh god…oh god, oh god, oh god!" Kagome said over and over to herself as her panic grew. She slid herself up to his head, her hands fidgeting above him as she tried to figure out what to do. She ran her hands threw her hair than let her hands slide down her face to her mouth.

_Oh man…what am I gonna do now? Inuyasha's gonna be a frozen cave man if I don't figure out something fa-hey…my lips are warm! Warmer than any other part of my body…hmm… Maybe if I…_

She looked down at Inuyasha with a curious and sneaky look on her face, with her hand still on her lips.

_Well…it's worth a try. I don't see any other way around it…_

She than proceeded in situating herself at Inuyasha's head, her knees by his ears and her hands on his cheeks, than…very slowly…she bent down and planted a long, gentle kiss in Inuyasha's cold lips. She felt the heat flow from her body to his in a draining wave.

Their lips began to glow – almost like they would if you stuck a flashlight in there- and Kagome swore she could feel Inuyasha's body grow warmer and warmer.

In fact, she could feel him start to sweat! After a few more seconds, she parted from him, feeling a little dazed. She didn't open her eyes until she was sitting up right again, a slight ' wow that was cool' smile on her face.

What in the hell was that? She felt as if she was floating, and her body was on fire! She put a hand up and whipped away some sweat that had collected on her brow, than she licked her lips.

She paused, her tong still on her mouth. She re-traced her lips again, and tasted…something…rather delicious. She scooted back to her side of the island, as if trying to hide the fact she just saved his life, all the while licking her lips over and over.

_Mmm. It tastes like…wine…and chocolate. Chocolate and wine... Mmm… so that's what Inuyasha tastes like…God, he tastes good! _ She continued to savor his taste, and she didn't notice that Inuyasha began to stir.

He mumbled like he just woke up from falling ten stories and rubbed his head. He kept his balance on one arm, while the other massaged the good-sized goose egg he now had on the back of his head.

"Argh…ow…" he grumbled as he licked his lips and rubbed his head.

He froze mid-way up into the sitting position…and licked his lips again.

_Strawberry? Strawberry and…hm…cream. What the?_

"Hey Kagome-"

"I didn't kiss you! What are you talking about?" Kagome interrupted loudly, whirling around and waving her hands in front of her. Inuyasha paused again than smirked slightly.

"I…wasn't gonna ask you that."

Kagome froze. "Y…You weren't?" Inuyasha shook his head and raised his eyebrows at the same time. Kagome started to feel like major idiot.

"Well I uh…what I meant to say was uh…shit," she added under her breath.

Inuyasha got a sly smirk on is face and he leaned in Kagome's direction, eyeing her suspiciously. "You kissed me, didn't you?"

Kagome looked up at him with wide eyes and a big ' oh shit' look on her face.

"N-no I didn't. I just…"

"You DID kiss me! How dare you take advantage of me!" Inuyasha shouted playfully.

"I did NOT take advantage of you! I was merely trying to save your life," she added with a 'humpf!'

"So you admit to kissing me."

"No… Well, yes… but it's not for the reason you're thinking!"

Inuyasha just chuckled and shook his head, gaining a sharp "Oh shut up and go to sleep!" from Kagome, as she whipped around and lay on her side, using the clothes as a pillow.

"But I thought you said not to sleep," Inuyasha brought up.

"You're warm enough now to sleep all you want, so shut up, lay down, and sleep!"

Inuyasha just shook his head again and was about to lie down when he stopped. "Hey Kagome? Can I have some clothes for a pillow?"

Kagome threw them at him and they hit him square in the face. Inuyasha just grumbled as he squeezed the clothes into a ball and laid it where his head would go.

He was inched from the pillow, when he mumbled with a smirk, "I can't believe you kissed me.

"SHUT UP!"


	18. Chapter 18 The Warm Cabbin

**Chapter 18: The Warm Cottage**

Sango passed back and forth with the phone pressed up to her ear for the tenth time that day, running her hand through her loose hair. It had been a trying few days since their friends had gone missing. Miroku sat on the arm of a couch, watching her pase nervously.

They had been looking for Kagome and Inuyasha for two days now- having arrived two days ago in an empty apartment room with no sings of Kagome or Inuyasha anywhere.

"Sango, relax. We've done all we can and now all we can do it wait." Miroku tried his best to calm down Sango, but deep down inside, he was just as worried and concerned as she was.

They had called the police before, and now the apartment room full of officers and investigators gathering clues around the rooms.

A large, round man came up to Miroku and Sango, taking off his hat and holding it gingerly in front of him. "We're doing all we can, ma'am. I assure you, we'll find them safe and sound."

Sango could only eek a small, unconvincing smile, before she looked down to the floor, rubbing her arms up and down with worry. Miroku came up and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close as he gave her a gentle kiss on the head. The sheriff sighed and bit the corner of his mouth.

He turned away, leaving the couple alone as he walked into the living room to meet one of the investigators. He came up to him, peeling off his elastic gloves before running a naked hand through his hair.

"We can't find anything. No unusual finger prints, no blood, no indications of a struggle. It's almost like…they vanished," the investigator whispered. The Sheriff sighed and rubbed his forehead hard.

"All right…. don't tell the friends," he whispered back. "They're worried enough as it is." The investigator nodded before turning and walking away, leaving the sheriff to stand in the middle of the investigation. He shook his head and bit his lip- he had heard of these two people, the 'survivors'. In over a day they had become the talk of the town, and the sheriff could only guess as to what could happen to two celebrities in a town like this. Held for ransom, murdered, or, on a lighted note, carried away on the shoulders of crazed fans only to be returned the next day. God he hopped that was the case…. but **knew** that it wasn't.

**Somewhere in the cold wild**

They could tell that this was already going to be a mighty hike up the face of the cliff, but they weren't prepared for what lied up top. After many a skid, slip and near falling to the icy depths again, they reached the top, and nearly froze when their eyes beheld the icy wonderland of snow, snow, and…more snow.

"GODDAMMIT! WILL THIS SHIT EVER END?" Inuyasha screamed to the heavens, falling to his knees and nearly disappearing in the three-foot deep snow.

Kagome came up behind him and sighed, placing her arms tightly around herself.

"Well so much for staying dry. Trudging threw this snow will get us just as wet as diving into that river again."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Yeah. And I was naked and molested for nothing."

"Would you drop it, already? I didn't molest you! I kissed you to keep you warm."

Inuyasha chuckled. "I was just kidding with you, relax. In times like this, just about the only thing we can do is laugh," he added under his breath, taking Kagome under his arm and leading her through the knee-deep snow.

"Yeah, whatever, " Kagome smiled under her breath. Inuyasha just held her closer, like the good friend she was.

The trudged through the snow, feeling the ice-cold substance begin to take its toll on their skin. Because, upon climbing the canyon wall, Inuyasha had lost his shoes after slipping on a loose hunk of rock, and Kagome…well…she was never wearing any in the first place. Their toes stung and screamed at them each time they stepped into the white cold. It felt so cold, it was hot, and their feet were becoming red and itchy- a strong sine of frostbite.

But they bit down and braved it, trudging through the frost with a will and drive to live…. if only they had the energy, too. The day drug on into night, and with the darkness…came a new kind of cold.

"I-Inuy-yasha…" Kagome shivered, huddling as close to Inuyasha as she could. The wind had begun to pick up by now, and they found themselves in the eye of a blizzard. Inuyasha held close to Kagome to his body, one arm gently on her head to shield it from the frost, and the other on the down of her back to lead her. Her eyes were closed tight, so she was fully depending on Inuyasha to find the way, and she found she wasn't nearly as cold while standing so close to him.

Being a half demon, Inuyasha's heart raced faster than a normal human's, making his blood flow hot and quick, and warming up his body ten times faster than a human's. So, unless he's dunked in freezing water, he's virtually fine in cold weather. Unfortunately…. he **was** dunked in freezing water, and now with the knee-deep snow gradually getting higher, he might as well have been walking in ice. His body heat was far warmer than Kagome's, though, and he could see her body waning from the bitter cold.

Inuyasha looked up, forcing his eyes to brave through the whooshing snow around them. He could barely see his hand in front of his face; it was so snowy- he had to squint to the point of his eyes nearly being closed completely to just see shapes. The wind howled in his head, and his dog-ears were pressed back as far as they could go to avoid the sting.

It seemed hopeless- all Inuyasha could see was gray shapes, white snow, and nothing else. Every sense was dulled, and he was hungry, and thirsty, and tired. He looked down at Kagome, pressed tight against his side as she shielded her face with her hand and used the other to cling to him. She was pressing against him harder now…. he was running out of body heat fast. If he didn't find shelter fast…they'd both die.

Inuyasha looked back up, pleading in his head for something…anything to show up. That's when he saw it-through the distant gray fog and flying snow…a large, wooden form.

A cottage? He wasn't sure, but as of now, he didn't care.

Inuyasha walked on, keeping Kagome close to him as he moved through the deep, deep snow. Truth be told, it was a cottage- old but in good condition considering the weather. It was perched up on a small incline, slightly hidden by the border of aspen trees leading into a forest behind it. Inuyasha slid up the incline, falling no his knees a few times but getting up and walking on. He still couldn't see very well, but the closer he got, the clearer the cottage became. It seemed that the thick forest provide shelter form the snow, because one he reached the top, the snow was just barely a foot deep. He walked up the two steps to the roof-covered porch than, after gently sitting Kagome down, turned and knocked on the door.

No answer came.

Inuyasha gripped the door handle-, which was actually a deer horn hammered into the wood, than gave it a slight shake. The door opened, and Inuyasha slowly stepped in. It was a one room cabin, and empty. There was a pothole in the floor, about a foot deep were a fire could be made. There was old, dry firewood stacked in the far corner, a hole in the roof to provide as a smoke outlet, and a small, lone window, but other than that it was blank.

It will do just fine.

Inuyasha lead Kagome inside, sitting her down by the pothole, before turning and walking to the firewood.

Kagome sat Indian style, her arms wrapped as tight as she could get them around her body. She remembered that she had to move around to keep warm, but her body was just too weak to do it. Her hair was drenched with melted snow, along with her clothes, and her lips were turning blue. Inuyasha came back with an arm full of firewood and plopped them in the pothole. Than, with his claws, he swiped at the wood, using the friction to start a fire. After monitoring and blowing on it to encourage it to grow to good size, he walked over to Kagome and sat close to her.

"Inuyasha…."Kagome began.

"Yeah?" he replied.

Kagome paused, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry…for kissing you. You're right in a way, I shouldn't have done something that extreme…"

Inuyasha looked over at her with wide eyes, the fire now roaring with warm might. She wasn't looking at him but at the fire, her face slack with sadness as she kept her body in a hug. Was she really so sad about something like that? He…didn't mean to make her sad. He was just joking.

Inuyasha sighed. He was the one who should be sorry- he laid that on her so hard, and even if it was just a joke, under the circumstances, small things could be taken harder than meant to.

Inuyasha licked his lips and bowed his head, "Kagome…"He tried to say it- tried to say sorry but the words wouldn't come. She looked up at him with her blue eyes lit by the fire. He froze, his mind suddenly lost in her eyes, and he looked at her…. Stunned. She was so beautiful… He wanted her. Every fiber of his being screamed whenever he looked at her. She was so secretly seductive and the cute part about it was she wasn't even trying to be sexy. Oh, how he needed her.

Kagome blinked. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha blinked as well, snapping out of his trans before looking away completely.

"What were you gonna say?" Kagome asked.

"What?" Inuyasha looked up again, this time looking between her foreheads so he wouldn't be trapped again. Kagome repeated her question.

Inuyasha sighed, "Oh, that…I uh…." He rubbed the back of his neck and raked his teeth together. "Listen, Kagome, you don't have to apologize for that. I was um…being a jerk."

Kagome starred at him in awe. He never apologized…for anything! And suddenly he was acting like a completely different person. Well, considering the circumstances….

"Actually…" Inuyasha said with a tint of pleasure. He scooted closer to her as he looked down at her hunched over, small form. Her eyes were wide, and he could tell he saw startling her. What a turn on.

"I kind of liked it," he finished, smiling lightly. Kagome blushed and looked away, chuckling uncomfortably as she shoved a wet lock of hair behind her ear.

"Um…. thanks."

Inuyasha took her chin in his hand, and drew her face up to look at him. His face was now very serious.

"Don't ever apologize…for saving my life…" he ordered quietly. Kagome starred at him with wide eyes. The fire brought out the defined check bones, the thick neck, the sharp jaw line…he looked like an angel sent form heaven.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome's voice was caught in her throat- he looked so handsome, no coherent thought made it to her mouth. She felt her body leaning closer to his, like a force drawing her nearer to him. She knew what was coming, and her breathing quickened. Her lips were so close to his; she could feel his breath on her. Her heart was racing, and her hands were shaking. It was that rush she always heard people talk about before a first kiss. That flying feeling were you feel as light as a feather, and your heart beating so fast you swear it jump right out of your chest.

He laid his lips on hers, and captured her in a kiss so deep it took her breath away. He was gentle, but forceful all the same. She could feel him taste her, and she began to explore as well. His hands drew up under chin and held her tighter as the kiss grew harder.

That taste again…wine and chocolate. It was so rich and strong; Kagome could barely wrap her mind around it. Inuyasha took in her taste, engraving it into his mind so he could savor it for all eternity. Strawberry and cream… so sweet and tangy, just like her. With a gentle movement, Inuyasha and Kagome parted from the kiss, both eyes closed for a few seconds before opening to look at each other.

Kagome was dazed. Never in her whole life had she felt like that. She wanted more but she felt as if her heart would stop if she put it through any more excitement. Inuyasha just smiled at her, knowing the impression he left on her. He was happy, because now he could sleep with the taste of her on his lips. His dreamed would be made only sweeter because of that one kiss.

After a moment silence past between the two, kagome cleared her throat and looked away, blushing.

Shoving that same lock back behind her ear, she turned away, and said, "Well, um…better get to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow." She lay down on her side, using her arm as a pillow as she tried to act like nothing just happened. Then she felt Inuyasha's body come up behind her, and felt him slide and arm around her waist. At first Kagome was startled, but than when she felt him nuzzle up to the crook of her neck and fall asleep…she realized that there was nothing to fear. She sighed and smiled, feeling a wave of warmth and protection wash over her and relax her tense muscles. She raised her other arm, the one she wasn't using as a pillow, and intertwined her fingers in Inuyasha's hand that was draped over her waist. Inuyasha did the same with the hand that she used as a pillow, and they fell asleep, holding each other's hands as the drifted away into sweet bliss.

The car, train, the river, the blizzard- none of it mattered now. It was just she and her sweet Inuyasha together in a warm cottage.


	19. Chapter 19 Scared to Death

**Chapter 19: Scarred to Death **

**Bleeding-roses 16: hey peeps, I insisted on an authors note because it's been forever since the last on. For those wondering, we're not gonna tell you who, what, when, were, why, or how is trying to kill the two survivors. So nani nani boo boo.**

**Dancing-Shadows34: Uhh…sorry guys. My friend was just a little hyper today. But don't worry, you guys will find out soon, we promise. **

It wasn't until at least noon when Kagome and Inuyasha woke up. They had fallen asleep so soundly the night before that they had completely lost track of time and slept half the day away. Inuyasha was in a hurry now, practically sprinting through the snow to try and catch up on time they missed. They were searching for the railroad tracks. They figured that if they found it and fallowed it long enough, they might just be lead to a town or something. Kagome, on the other hand, was too busy remembering what had happened last night to even care where she was stepping.

_I wonder what made Inuyasha do that to me…_ she thought as she trailed a little ways behind him. _ I mean… it was totally out of the blue- ten times more random than what _**_I _**_did. Well... not like I didn't enjoy it but- NO! Bad! Don't think that! I can NOT be crushing on my best friend. That's just…just…yeah…but that kiss was just so…amazingly- BAD! Just shut up stop talking to yourself!_

"Hey Kagome?" Inuyasha paused on a slope, looking down at Kagome. He had seen her shaking her head forcefully behind him, almost as if she was disagreeing with someone. The only problem was…. she wasn't talking to anyone. He was curious as to why she was shaking her head out of the blue like that.

"What?" Kagome answered, glad that someone knocked her out of her little conversation with herself.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha replied. Kagome just stood blank faced, mouth open and eyebrow arched. Inuyasha continued.

"You've been shaking your head at absolutely nothing since we left the cabin. What's up?"

"Umm…. Just thinking?" Kagome replied. That was a good enough answer, right? So long as he didn't know what she was thinking about, everything would be fine, right?

"Oh really? About what?"

WRONG!

Kagome bit her lip and looked away cautiously. _Oh shit…_ "Oh…. nothing. Just…this and that."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. He knew Kagome too well to know she was just thinking about 'this' and 'that', but he dismissed the argument before it grew, and continued walking. They lost too much time already.

Out of all the times Inuyasha had ignored her, this was probably the only time she was glad he did. No way would she explain to him that she was taken literally away by his kiss. Although it seemed he didn't even remember doing it. Such an act like that couldn't possibly go unnoticed even in the simple mind of a man.

_Does he truly not remember what happened? _ Kagome thought with a sort of frown. _How can you honestly forget something like that? That kiss was just so…smooth…and deep…and tasty…and…_

Suddenly, Kagome heard a kind of... metal kink sound and she stumbled. She gasped slightly than looked down at her foot. It was caught in a kind of metal thing. She let her eyes fallow a long bar until she was gazing into the horizon. She realized that she had so gracefully stumbled upon the thing that would lead them home.

"Hey, Inuyasha! I found the railroad tracks!"

Inuyasha was a little ways ahead when she called out, and he paused to look over his shoulder at her. She was excitedly pointing to the railroad tracks in which her foot was stuck, feeling a sense of relief now that they found a path they could fallow.

Inuyasha sighed in relief and walked up to Kagome, who stood pointing at her feet with a big smile.

"See? My most intelligent foot stumbled right onto it," Kagome said proudly. Inuyasha looked down and saw that Kagome's foot was trapped between the railings by her ankle. It looked like it would hurt, but it was Kagome's right ankle, therefore she felt absolutely nothing.

"But your oh so intelligent foot is now stuck good," Inuyasha said with a sigh. Kagome only smirked innocently. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and bent down, sliding his hand down her leg and gripping her ankle tight.

"Okay, I'm gonna pull you out. Tell me if I hurt you," he warned. Kagome nodded.

"Will do! Though I doubt you **will **hurt me. It's my numb side that's stuck, mind you." Inuyasha ignored her and began to pull up. Her foot didn't budge. He gripped harder and pulled faster. Still nothing. Kagome just stood there looking down at him with a bored look on her face.

"You know, I don't think you'll be able to get that out, Inuyasha. Try moving it forward than pulling up at the same time."

Inuyasha tried her advice, but the wood held tight. Inuyasha grumbled and leaned back on his knees, giving the tops of his legs a slap. "Damn it! Well, thank god it's in the middle of the tracks on not right on the side."

Kagome nodded and chuckled. "Yeah, really. If a train, came my leg would be sliced off in a second." Inuyasha only shook his head and chuckled. He really didn't want to think about the possibility of that actually happening. Even if Kagome weren't stuck on the side rails, the train would hit her head on and obliterate her. Not a good image. But it wasn't like would happen. Hell, they were in freakin Alaska weather there! No train in their right mind would go down these tracks covered in ice.

Inuyasha bent back over and gripped her ankle again, beginning to pull. Kagome watched him for a bit before a distant sound caught her attention. A scary, all too familiar sound…. coming their way. Kagome's breath caught in her lungs and she froze at about the same time Inuyasha heard the sound. They both slowly looked to the horizon only to see the nightmare careening down the tracks at a jaw breaking speed. A huge, black, metal train smoking down the tracks right at them. Kagome let out a squeak, before beginning to struggle.

Inuyasha yanked and yanked, trying his best to free her, but to no avail. Inuyasha looked over his should only for a second to see how close the train was. Too close. Dangerously close.

The train rung it's bell, warning the two teens to get the hell out of the way, but Inuyasha ignored it.

"Inuyasha, go!" Kagome ordered, batting at him with her hands. The train wailed it's bell again and Inuyasha cringed as it hurt his ears. It was so close they could feel the tracks vibrate.

"No!" Inuyasha snapped. "Like hell if I'm gonna leave you!" Inuyasha pulled harder, one strong, stiff heave up, forcing his adrenaline to fuel his strength. He felt it…Kagome's ankle beginning to slide from the wood. Inuyasha felt a ray of hope when he felt her leg sliding out, but Kagome knew better. The train was feet away, and Inuyasha feel the heat of the metal creature breathing on him. If Inuyasha didn't leave now, he would be hit.

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha by the scruff of the shirt and the underarm than used her leg to lift and kick him off the tracks.

Inuyasha landed and rolled across the snow until he came to a sudden, slamming halt against a rock. His head was ringing and his shoulder was screaming. But he was far too shocked to care. He saw the train running by, and no Kagome in sight. He knew she was dead, knew she was either a new hood ornament on the train's face or road kill all over the railroad. He watched in horror as the train rolled by, not breathing, not blinking.

The last tram when by and soon the train had disappeared around a corner, the echo of it's engine in the distance…. and then complete silence.

Inuyasha was frozen. He couldn't breath, couldn't think. Kagome was nowhere in site- the train had flattened her. The wind blew a stinging breeze and the mist of snow glided over the tracks.

"Oooohh…. owwei!" Inuyasha heard a voice above the wind mutter. He blinked; the first movement he'd made since the train passed, and watched with wide eyes as Kagome emerged from the track.

In the last possible second, Kagome laid flat against the middle of the track, letting the train whip over her, it's pipes missing her by centimeters.

Her head was ringing just as hard as Inuyasha's was, but other than that, she was unharmed. Inuyasha stood up in shock and starred at her, eyes wide and mouth open.

Kagome looked over at him than gave him a smile and chuckle.

_She's…alive._ The stress was too much for Inuyasha to bare. His body just gave up on him, and Inuyasha passed out, then and there, right in the cold snow. Kagome gasped than shot up, leaping out of the tracks and running up to him.

"Hey, you freak! Don't pass out on me! **I'M** the one who got run over, **I **should be the one passed out!" She screamed at him, straddling him than grabbing him by the color of the shirt and giving him a shake.

"Oi! Get up, you retard! Get up!" she smacked him across the face. Inuyasha cracked an eye open and grumbled.

SMACK!

"Ow!"

SMACK!

"Kagome! Stop!"

SMACK!

"I'm awake, damn it!"

Kagome looked down and saw Inuyasha glaring up at her and she gasped, letting go of his shirt and gasping again when he smacked his head on the floor.

"Oh sorry! OH SORRY!" she put her hands to her mouth than slid them under Inuyasha's head and helped him sit up. She was still hooked to his waist when he sat completely upright.

"Are you alright?" she asked tenderly, massaging the back of his head as he rubbed the sting out of his red cheeks.

"Aren't I supposed to be asking you that?" he stated, smirking at her.

Kagome paused, and then laughed, before wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a hug. Inuyasha smiled and returned her embrace.

Inuyasha was scared to death, but her open arms made him feel so much better.

**Sorry it took me so damn long to update! I had serious writer's block for a good month. But I finally found the inspiration after watching a amv of Inuyasha on  I suggest visiting that site because there will be some upcoming songs in this fic and if you'd like to hear how they sound for FREE, than you can go there. Just type in the song title in the search thing. **


	20. Chapter 20 SORRY!

Bleeding-roses18 here: sorry we haven't posted in ages but we're editing and adding or subtracting things… sounds like math to me. Anywho. Sorry for the wait. It might be awhile before we can post… actually, we might just start over. We'll see. Adios amigos!

Dancing-shadows34 is in the house! A-hem. Anyways, again, sorry for the MAJOR delay…Like my friend said, we're tweaking things…. and I…kind a had a…brain block. But no worries. I'm over it. We'll keep you posted on the progress. And when we're done, look for the title Survivors: redone….if you're still fans….expect the new chapters sometime in the beginning of 2007.

Both of the slow authors: sorry! Love you all and hope you stay with us. PLEASE!!! PLEASE don't go!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!


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